shenanigan
noun
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").
Synonyms
Examples of shenanigan in a Sentence
Danny Horn, EW.com, 10 July 2024
But as the trailer progresses, the siblings become more lively, and we’re treated to visuals of — among other things — a machine gun-wielding Santa Claus, Luther in a ball pit, and new cast members Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally up to all kinds of shenanigans.
—Rebecca Iannucci, TVLine, 9 July 2024
While using a pair of free tickets to a big soccer match, the execs’ drunken shenanigans cause everyone in the country to start hunting them down.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 July 2024
Bhat lacks the budget for the kind of third-act shenanigans that movies like this often rely upon to raise the stakes (even at the expense of lowering the suspense), but that doesn’t feel like the only reason why the police don’t get involved.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 3 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for shenanigan 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shenanigan.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Shenanigan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shenanigan. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
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