1
as in mischief
usually shenanigans plural
playful, reckless behavior that is not intended to cause serious harm
students engaging in youthful shenanigans on the last day of school
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hijinks
usually shenanigans plural
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
an act of vandalism that went way beyond the usual shenanigans at summer camp
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in ruse
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
the street-corner huckster of pirated DVDs had all sorts of shenanigans to keep the cops off of his tail
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shenanigan
His banter with deadpan Principal Woodman (John Sylvester White) and his loving, eye-rolling wife Julie (Marcia Strassman) brought the series full circle, blending schoolyard shenanigans with heartfelt adult comedy.
—
Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
How that ratio of truth to horse manure will manifest in the shenanigans of season two is anyone’s guess.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
The child star, who had previously made TV appearances and had a supporting part in 1989's Uncle Buck, nabbed the starring role in the movie playing Kevin McCallister, a young boy who is accidentally left home alone by his family and faces the ensuing shenanigans of his solo time.
—EW.com, 26 Aug. 2025
The youngest boy Benny Walter (Lennix James) participated in these shenanigans, as did Jordan (Dean Petriw), who always has his video camera on him to capture documentary-worthy moments like that prank, which stemmed from a bet between Isaac and Cole.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shenanigan
Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
How that ratio of truth to horse manure will manifest in the shenanigans of season two is anyone’s guess.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
The child star, who had previously made TV appearances and had a supporting part in 1989's Uncle Buck, nabbed the starring role in the movie playing Kevin McCallister, a young boy who is accidentally left home alone by his family and faces the ensuing shenanigans of his solo time.
—EW.com, 26 Aug. 2025
The youngest boy Benny Walter (Lennix James) participated in these shenanigans, as did Jordan (Dean Petriw), who always has his video camera on him to capture documentary-worthy moments like that prank, which stemmed from a bet between Isaac and Cole.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shenanigan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shenanigan
Noun
-
Accordingly, the werewolves and vampires generate much of their mischief and mayhem in the Kansas City area.—
Dan Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Backroom deals were struck between politicians and judges, and the upstairs once hosted a fair share of gambling and general mischief.—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Jean’s mama saw through the ruse but misread it.—
David Wright Faladé,
New Yorker,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Posing as a door-to-door accountant looking for clients just before noon Thursday, Suresh knocked on several doors to cover up his ruse before arriving at the victim’s house, according to police.—
Kyle Martin,
Mercury News,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Milwaukee County Board Supervisor Priscilla Coggs-Jones is under investigation by local authorities after being flagged for allegations of misconduct in public office and intentionally filing false campaign finance reports.—
Vanessa Swales,
jsonline.com,
23 Sep. 2025
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Private individuals who help bring such misconduct to light can reap 25-30% of any recovery.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Only an Aries, like Lily, can take Barney’s jabs in a joking way.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
19 Sep. 2025
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When Peanut pulled his second escape act, his owners knew where to look and handled Peanut's disappearance in a joking manner.—
Michael Nied,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Genians, which uncovered the fake ID scheme, said this latest case underscores just how much generative AI has changed the game.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
27 Sep. 2025
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The crackdown is part of a broader scheme.—
Lizz Winstead,
Time,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
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During Full House, Sweetin said the child actors would often come across as more professional than their adult counterparts amid all the tomfoolery.—
Daysia Tolentino,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 Sep. 2025
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Rite of passage or midnight tomfoolery?—
Jake Allen,
IndyStar,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The most exciting feature is the realistic mask, though, which has mesh eyes for kids to see through while trick-or-treating, and an adjustable strap to fit their head properly.—
Katrina Cossey,
Parents,
1 Oct. 2025
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Perhaps most frustrating, two Johnson attempts to dig into his trick bag misfired.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Their relationship, tentative, intimate, and defiant, lingers long after the satirical skewering of male buffoonery has faded.—
Leila Latif,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
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He’s been tinkering with this messaging on and off since damn near the start of the century, when his criticism of the genre shifted from the power-holding executives (both white and Black) of the music industry who were profiting off buffoonery, a la Bamboozled, to rap music itself.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shenanigan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shenanigan. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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