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
Mixing adult comedy with kid-friendly shenanigans, ghostly mayhem and even a little thoughtful spirituality ensues when four guys protect Manhattan from being toasted by an ancient demon and a kaiju-sized marshmallow guy.
—
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 21 June 2025
Gravina’s praise for his temperament amid the media glare also left one with the impression that the FIGC president can’t be on social media, where the reels of Gattuso’s press conference shenanigans have guaranteed virality.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 20 June 2025
Sun Sentinel While the sight of the sport’s biggest prize being filled with Budweiser may not have raised many eyebrows in the corporate offices of the NHL, Tkachuk hinted he had been warned against repeating some of last year’s victory hangover shenanigans.
—Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 18 June 2025
Plus, there are only so many shenanigans F1 will tolerate from one driver trying to finagle the race outcome.
—Sahil Kapur, NBC news, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for shenanigan
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 21 June 2025
Gravina’s praise for his temperament amid the media glare also left one with the impression that the FIGC president can’t be on social media, where the reels of Gattuso’s press conference shenanigans have guaranteed virality.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 20 June 2025
Sun Sentinel While the sight of the sport’s biggest prize being filled with Budweiser may not have raised many eyebrows in the corporate offices of the NHL, Tkachuk hinted he had been warned against repeating some of last year’s victory hangover shenanigans.
—Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 18 June 2025
Plus, there are only so many shenanigans F1 will tolerate from one driver trying to finagle the race outcome.
—Sahil Kapur, NBC news, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for shenanigan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shenanigan
Noun
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Prior to that, Price was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, criminal mischief, and disorderly conduct following an argument in which Price reportedly locked Coleman out of their home and began trashing his belongings.—
Ryan Coleman Published,
EW.com,
8 July 2025
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Klein was charged with second-degree criminal mischief and was expected to appear Monday in Bridgeport Superior Court.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
7 July 2025
Noun
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The scammers could also use your account to scam others out of money with the same verification ruse for passengers and drivers.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
-
The elaborate ruse was likely an effort to steal cryptocurrency, which Lazarus has become known for.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
19 June 2025
Noun
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His last review, which examined misconduct allegations against Russell Brand, only referenced job titles.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
12 July 2025
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Sorrell exited the company in 2018 amid a probe of allegations of misconduct, and Read, who spent much of this time building new digital operations, became the company’s new leader.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
10 July 2025
Noun
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Two sources told Reuters he was suspected of being involved in a scheme to embezzle millions of dollars earmarked for border defenses.—
Clare Sebastian,
CNN Money,
11 July 2025
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In the film, Superman comes under suspicion by the public and the government over his Kryptonian heritage thanks to a scheme by tech billionaire Luthor to push Superman out of the way of his grand plans to expand his criminal enterprise worldwide.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Noun
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Growing up, the de Kooning home became an unofficial meeting ground for creative tomfoolery: Lisa de Kooning was a firm believer in play.—
Alessandra Schade,
Vogue,
7 June 2025
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Another aspect to note is that the AI didn’t ridicule me or otherwise play any tomfoolery about my need for assistance.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2025
Noun
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Truth is, finding universal tips and tricks for keeping your cortisol levels stable first thing in the morning and when leaving the house is tough.—
Ana Morales,
Vogue,
5 July 2025
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One trick to capture slugs is to lay a board down next to a row crop and check the underside in the morning to gather the slugs.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 July 2025
Noun
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The other person who spoke in South Carolina, Tim Walz, is a special mixture of extreme buffoonery and a mean spirit, which is a toxic brew.—
Jenny Goldsberry,
The Washington Examiner,
1 June 2025
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Certainly hope none of you will be complicit in this buffoonery.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
23 May 2025
Noun
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Butch Baker, who was Henry County sheriff until 2014, recalled an incident in which Bertram was accused of inappropriate horseplay at the community corrections office.—
Tony Cook,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
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The action anime feature for everyone who couldn’t get enough of the horseplay in The Two Towers has finally cantered onto Max.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
1 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shenanigan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shenanigan. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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