monkey around
verb
monkeyed around; monkeying around; monkeys around
informal
: to do things that are not useful or serious : to waste time
We just monkeyed around all afternoon.
a young scientist monkeying around in the lab
Examples of monkey around in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Kids can monkey around in the children’s playroom while their parents log on in the co-working space.
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Tori Latham, Robb Report, 31 Mar. 2026
Children can be seen monkeying around the billiards table, and the surrounding area offers plenty of activities to suit the whole gang—from hiking and boat tours to hair-raising seaplane adventures.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Mar. 2026
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Tori Latham, Robb Report, 31 Mar. 2026
Children can be seen monkeying around the billiards table, and the surrounding area offers plenty of activities to suit the whole gang—from hiking and boat tours to hair-raising seaplane adventures.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Monkey around.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monkey%20around. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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