Idiom
mess with somethingmess with (something)
1.
to take apart or fix something complicated esp. in order to learn more about how it works.
I enjoy messing with computers the way some folks get pleasure from rebuilding old cars.
2.
to change something in a way that is likely to cause harm.
Crime really messes with the quality of life in a community.Don't mess with funding for education programs that have a direct impact on student learning.
3.
to become involved with something dangerous.
He admitted that he had messed with drugs as a teen.You wouldn't want to mess with a truckload of mail that might be contaminated.
Related vocabulary: fool with something, fiddle with something, fuss with something