as in cutting up
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 clowning (around)
Verb
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Meanwhile, as all of this is happening, Meredith is cutting up with the other ladies at the spa, without a care in the world.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
31 Dec. 2025 -
Ford is planning on cutting up to 1,000 roles in electric-vehicle production in Germany.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Gisin hopes that by fooling around with measurements of these more exotic states, physicists will come to better understand the role of measurement in general.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Sydney also posted a photo of her walking through the hallways, showing off her pajamas — which perfectly match her daughter's onesie.—
Raven Brunner,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
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Bieber’s matching barely-there thong was connected to it through a web of black strings on her stomach, showing off her abs and highlighting a pink bow adornment in the center.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Its general sensibility seems more Superstore than The Office, down to the interstitial montages of customers acting up in the perpetually overcrowded waiting room.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Oct. 2025
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Sturm said his back started acting up after the team’s first practice.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Clowning (around).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clowning%20%28around%29. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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