Mucks around is a colloquial expression that refers to wasting time or goofing off. However, there are several synonyms that convey the same meaning with varying degrees of intensity. For instance, dilly-dallying implies a mild sense of procrastination or indecisiveness, whereas lollygagging typically denotes a more leisurely approach to work or activity. The phrase puttering around suggests aimless busyness, while frittering away connotes wastefulness. Meanwhile, dawdling, twiddling one's thumbs, and loitering all carry negative connotations of laziness or lack of productivity. In sum, there are many ways to describe behaviors that might be considered mucking around, but they all convey a sense of inactivity or inefficiency.