shenanigan
noun
she·nan·i·gan
shə-ˈna-ni-gən 
1
a
: activity or behavior that is not honest or proper : deceptive or questionable practices or conduct
—usually used in plural
They were engaged in financial/political shenanigans.
… takes attention away from the shenanigans of corporate executives …—
Anthony Lewis
Anthony Lewis
b
: high-spirited or mischievous activity
—usually used in plural
students engaging in youthful shenanigans on the last day of school
But this is just a taste of all the shenanigans that went down.—Allie Gemmill
Allie Gemmill2
old-fashioned
: a devious trick used especially for an underhand purpose
Did you know?
The history of shenanigan is as tricky and mischievous as its meaning. Etymologists have some theories about its origins, but no one has been able to prove them. All we can say for certain is that the earliest known uses of the word in print appeared in the mid-1800s. Although the "underhanded trick" sense of the word is oldest, the most common senses in use now are "tricky or questionable practices" (as in "political shenanigans") and "high-spirited behavior" (as in "youthful shenanigans").
Examples of shenanigan in a Sentence
students engaging in youthful shenanigans on the last day of school
an act of vandalism that went way beyond the usual shenanigans at summer camp
Recent Examples on the Web
The next luxury shenanigans will unfold somewhere in the middle, in France.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
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.
—Madeline Boardman, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
Hadid shared several other looks from her holiday shenanigans, including wearing her hair down and tucked behind her ears and under a baseball cap, as well as a metallic manicure.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 20 Jan. 2026
Landman season 2 just ended last night with a big finale, and Tommy and the crew got up to their usual shenanigans, leading to some potentially explosive events for season 3.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shenanigan
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Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
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.
—Madeline Boardman, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
Hadid shared several other looks from her holiday shenanigans, including wearing her hair down and tucked behind her ears and under a baseball cap, as well as a metallic manicure.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 20 Jan. 2026
Landman season 2 just ended last night with a big finale, and Tommy and the crew got up to their usual shenanigans, leading to some potentially explosive events for season 3.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shenanigan
Cite this Entry
“Shenanigan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shenanigan. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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