as in horsed around
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior
as a youngster he was always clowning around in the classroom
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clowned (around)
Verb
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The new congressional map in Virginia effectively cuts up the state’s 11 House districts to give Democrats an advantage in 10 of them.—
Joseph Konig,
PEOPLE,
22 Apr. 2026 -
The Gates Foundation plans to cut up to 500 jobs, or about 20% of its staff, in the coming years as part of a long-term restructuring, as the foundation also undergoes an external review of its ties to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.—
Brittany Miller,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Not too long ago, artificial intelligence was more or less a science project in which data scientists and developers fooled around with one-off small or test projects.—
Joe McKendrick,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And of course, Peterson not playing would have made some wonder if the McDonald’s All-American’s hamstring had acted up again.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
7 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The campaign marked the first time that Davidson showed off his body since embarking on his $200,000 ink-removal journey in 2020.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
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At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this year, Chinese laser company Appotronics showed off its rival optical engines — including one for color display.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
13 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Clowned (around).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clowned%20%28around%29. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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