Verb mess about has 1 sense

• mess about(v = verb.stative) footle, hang around, lallygag, linger, loaf, loiter, lollygag, lounge, lurk, mill about, mill around, tarry - be about; "The high school students like to loiter in the Central Square"; "Who is this man that is hanging around the department?"
is one way to be
Sample sentences:
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP