screwing around

verb

present participle of screw around
as in cheating
to be sexually unfaithful he hired a private detective because he thought his wife was screwing around

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of screwing around The informative thing was Lestat screwing around with me. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 23 June 2026 Mercedes is truly not screwing around with the new EQS. — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 13 Apr. 2026 What if some big musician is screwing around at sound check and sings one of [Spinal Tap’s] songs. — Melinda Newman, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screwing around
  1. cheating
  2. stepping out
Verb
  • His political career, which included a spell as the Conservative Party’s deputy chairman, was interrupted by a period in prison in 2001 after he was found guilty of lying and cheating in a 1987 libel case against The Daily Star newspaper.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
  • For practical purposes, the games belong to the house and the house gets to decide what’s cheating and what isn’t.
    — Kit Chellel, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of cheating
Verb
  • There’s something very nice about stepping out on a terrace right in the heart of bustling Vancouver to feel the crisp Pacific Northwest air.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Oct. 2026
  • But the real risk shows up when leaders let professionals get too comfortable stepping out of the loop instead of staying engaged in the judgment and review the work still requires.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of stepping out

Browse Nearby Words

screwing
screwing around
screwing up
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Cite this Entry

“Screwing around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screwing%20around. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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