1
as in devilment
playful, reckless behavior that is not intended to cause serious harm
the children claimed that setting off a firecracker was harmless mischief, but they got a lecture anyway
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in playfulness
a natural disposition for playful behavior
your mother was full of mischief as a child, believe it or not
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in monkey
an appealingly mischievous person
he's a little mischief who means no harm
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mischief
Modern football mischief makers might even be inclined to laugh at De Ligt for falling over after Martin Odegaard attempts to thread a pass to Gabriel Martinelli.
—
Carl Anka, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
Jennifer Crouse, 59, John Crouse, 70, and Bebe Soho, 34, were arrested Wednesday on cruelty to animals and criminal mischief charges, according to the Old Saybrook Police Department.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 21 Aug. 2025
Some shared similar stories of pets alerting them to medical conditions, while others expressed surprise that such actions could stem from concern rather than mischief.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
The mischief is minor but searching.
—Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mischief
Carl Anka, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
Jennifer Crouse, 59, John Crouse, 70, and Bebe Soho, 34, were arrested Wednesday on cruelty to animals and criminal mischief charges, according to the Old Saybrook Police Department.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 21 Aug. 2025
Some shared similar stories of pets alerting them to medical conditions, while others expressed surprise that such actions could stem from concern rather than mischief.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
The mischief is minor but searching.
—Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mischief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mischief
Noun
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Mustard and vinegar provide the devilment for a flavorful bite, particularly when topped with a scattering of scallions and paprika.—
SAVEUR Editors,
Saveur,
5 Feb. 2025
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But even if truffles are beyond your pay grade, there is plenty of enjoyment to be had in the sheer devilment portrayed in this informative and appetizing book.—
Eugenia Bone,
WSJ,
10 July 2019
Noun
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Her rats' playfulness motivated her and eased feeling of loneliness, while her cats' soothing weight on her chest calmed her anxiety.—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
5 Sep. 2025
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The film is alive with stylistic playfulness.—
Leila Latif,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Along the Campuhan Ridge Walk, golden light spills across rice paddies like stairways—while mischievous monkeys chatter in the Sacred Forest Sanctuary—swinging past gnarled banyan roots and ancient statues of Hanuman, the Hindu monkey god.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
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Intel saga The monkey-wrench, as usual, is the president.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
24 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Soon, the America’s Got Talent stage descended into pure chaos, with Cowell and Mandel showcasing their innate mischievousness before the latter turned his attention toward his fellow judges.—
Tyler Jenke,
Billboard,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The term Jab Jab itself comes from the French term for devil.—
Mankaprr Conteh,
Rolling Stone,
23 Aug. 2025
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In Michelangelo’s Last Judgment a devil drags one of the damned to hell by his testicles (which sounds like heaven to me).—
Michael Robbins,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Jew haters have long alleged the wickedness of Israel and its ties with powerful elites across the world.—
Michael S. Roth,
Time,
6 Aug. 2025
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Speaking after him, another pastor compared Austin to Nineveh, a city associated with wickedness in the Old Testament.—
Bayliss Wagner,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
Noun
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Still, the pure rascality in these extravagant self-inventions shouldn’t be overlooked.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
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Naturally, such rascality didn't do overall fuel economy any favors; in fact, my average was just 20 mpg (11.8 L/100 km) over the course of 125 miles at the E 350's helm.—
Peter Nelson,
Ars Technica,
18 Apr. 2024
Noun
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As shown in his previous films, Eggers’ sensibility has roots not in contemporary horror but in stories from centuries past that become vivid and febrile, alive with an insidious devilry that inches under your skin.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
2 Dec. 2024
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That’s enough devilry to explain at least much of Haiti’s challenges without resorting to tales of satanic influence.—
Matthew Brown,
Washington Post,
24 Mar. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Mischief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mischief. Accessed 7 Sep. 2025.
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