Mess with
Mess with verb - To handle thoughtlessly, ignorantly, or mischievously.
Work
Work verb - To be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind).
Both terms in one sentence
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He starts with the intent of making a mockery out of it, but the painting itself turns out quite profitable when Philippe sells it as the work of an "up-and-coming artist" - to mess with the snobby, snooty people he buys art from.
Source: Film / Intouchables - Maybe you've been put through an Emergency Transformation; maybe a magic spell backfired in an epic fashion; maybe someone decided it would be fun to mess with your life (you know, For Science!); or maybe it's just the way things work in The Verse you're currently a denizen of.
Source: Can't Live Without You - Men at Work: Do not mess with another man's fries.
Source: Serious Business / Film
Cite this Source
Work and Mess with. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/mess_with/work
Mess with & Work. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/mess_with/work>.
Work or Mess with. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/mess_with/work.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "mess with" and "work" have occurred on timeline