monkey business

noun

: shenanigan sense 1
didn't try any monkey business when the boss was away

Examples of monkey business in a Sentence

Our teacher warned us not to try any monkey business while she was out of the room. the new nanny will not tolerate such monkey business from her charges
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Barnett was the second Mississippi resident to take the monkey business into their own hands. Bracey Harris, NBC news, 5 Nov. 2025 The monkey business is dominated by a handful of highly secretive and rivalrous brokers. Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025 The Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park has some monkey business going on: updates to its primate and other animal habitats, educational buildings and pathways. Lillian Ashworth, Oc Register, 18 July 2025 Do a direct export from the original system—no monkey business. James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for monkey business

Word History

First Known Use

1835, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of monkey business was in 1835

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Cite this Entry

“Monkey business.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monkey%20business. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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