mess about (withsomething)

mess around (with something) & mess about (withsomething) & monkey around (with something)

1. to play with or fiddle with something idly and with no good purpose. •

Don't mess around with the ashtray.

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You'll break it if you don't stop messing about with it.

2. to experiment with something; to use and learn about something. •

We had been messing about with some new video techniques when we made our discovery.

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The people in this lab are messing around with all kinds of polymers.