Base verb
Phrasal verbs with mess
The verb mess combines with 3 particles to form everyday phrasal verbs. Each particle steers the meaning in its own direction — here they are with clear definitions and examples, so you can see the whole family at once.
3 phrasal verbs · 4 meanings
mess about
1 sense- Spend time idly or playfully without serious purpose
mess around
2 senses- Spend time in a careless or playful way
- Treat someone unfairly or unreliably
mess up
1 sense- Spoil or do something badly
Practice the mess family in Sink In
Sink In drills every sense of mess with spaced repetition — recognition, particle cloze, and meaning recall — so the whole family sticks instead of blurring together.