shenanigan

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noun she·nan·i·gan \ shə-ˈna-ni-gən \

Definition of shenanigan

1 :a devious trick used especially for an underhand purpose

2 a :tricky or questionable practices or conduct —usually used in plural

b :high-spirited or mischievous activity —usually used in plural

shenanigan was our Word of the Day on 04/01/2008. Hear the podcast!

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 of shenanigan from the Web

People in the venture world spoke fondly about the early shenanigans at big companies.

— michelle legro, Longreads, "Ellen Pao Is Ready to Name Names," 22 Aug. 2017
Generators were installed to guard against shenanigans during power failures.

— mike scott, NOLA.com, "Remembering The Beverly, a mob-run playground in Jefferson Parish," 13 Aug. 2017
The Washington Post tells us that there are some Stakhovite shenanigans going on at the obscure little EPA Museum.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "Scott Pruitt's EPA Shows Disdain for America," 1 Aug. 2017
Congress is organized under parliamentary rules, and where there are such rules there always will be procedural shenanigans.

— kevin d. williamson, National Review, "A National State of Non-Emergency," 26 July 2017
Alone, that brief journey isn’t nearly memorable enough to deserve an entire coaster experience, but perhaps the addition of the time travel shenanigans before and after said excursion could offer some justification.

— marc snetiker, EW.com, "New ride coming to Orlando’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter," 24 July 2017
Sick with the flu and at her wits end over Singer’s aforementioned room shenanigans, Frankel threw a lot of insults Singer’s way.

— dave quinn, PEOPLE.com, "Tequila Tumbles, Room Races, and Tinsley's Tears! The Craziest Moments from RHONY's Epic Mexico Trip," 20 July 2017
There are absolutely no time travel shenanigans in Reeves' Ape trilogy, nor much of a chance for humans and apes to meet as equals.

— annalee newitz, Ars Technica, "War for the Planet of the Apes," 14 July 2017
These giants hath not time for your semantic shenanigans.

— jessi roti, joe gray, kori rumore, chicagotribune.com, "Taste of Chicago 2017 guide: Check out menus, maps, performances, more," 30 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shenanigan.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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 use of the word in print appeared in the April 25, 1855, issue of San Francisco's Town Talk. 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").

Origin and Etymology of shenanigan

origin unknown

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1855

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shenanigan Synonyms

Synonyms

devilishness, devilment, devilry (or deviltry), diablerie, espièglerie, hob, impishness, knavery, mischievousness, rascality, roguery, roguishness, shenanigan (s), waggery, waggishness, wickedness

Near Antonyms

gravitas, gravity, seriousness, solemnity, solemnness

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for shenanigan Nglish: Translation of shenanigan for Spanish speakers

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shenanigan

Definition of shenanigan

shenanigan was our Word of the Day on 04/01/2008. Hear the podcast!

Examples of shenanigan in a Sentence

Recent Examples of shenanigan from the Web

Did You Know?

Origin and Etymology of shenanigan

shenanigan Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Learn More about shenanigan

Seen and Heard

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shenanigan

Definition of shenanigan

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shenanigan was our Word of the Day on 04/01/2008. Hear the podcast!

Examples of shenanigan in a Sentence

Recent Examples of shenanigan from the Web

Did You Know?

Origin and Etymology of shenanigan

shenanigan Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Learn More about shenanigan

Seen and Heard

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Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

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Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

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