shenanigan
noun
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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
Mike D'onofrio, Axios, 18 Oct. 2024
The Optimus team, on the other hand, is postponing these sorts of shenanigans 'til later, and focusing much more tightly on the skills this bot will need to start paying its way.
—New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2024
The crew engages in all manner of space travel (and time travel) shenanigans, and the series evolves greatly over its healthy original run from 1988 to 1999 and its revival from 2009 to 2020.
—Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 27 Sep. 2024
Too bad that the glorious anarchic shenanigans of Elmer Fudd, Fred Flintstone, and other icons that defined childhood for multiple generations don’t elicit the same passion.
—Mark Peikert, IndieWire, 9 Aug. 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 25 Oct. 2024.
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