1
as in to horse around
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior
quit fooling around on the jungle gym, or you'll get hurt
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to play
to spend time in aimless activity
we fooled around outdoors for a while, then went in to get some work done
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of fool around
While Mark and Helly were fooling around, Helly wasn’t fulfilling her promise to go get the directions Irving left tucked behind Dylan’s motivational poster.
—
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 21 Feb. 2025
While the siblings have the habit of getting into troubles and to only use their creative skills to fool around, Michael sees in them a real talent.
—Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
Players were in a dorm room fooling around with a gun.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024
Why fool around with a convention that everyone understood and practiced?
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 7 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fool around
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 21 Feb. 2025
While the siblings have the habit of getting into troubles and to only use their creative skills to fool around, Michael sees in them a real talent.
—Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
Players were in a dorm room fooling around with a gun.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024
Why fool around with a convention that everyone understood and practiced?
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 7 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fool around
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fool around
Verb
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Umberto Rispoli squeezed between horses around the top of the stretch and then rode Journalism to a tremendous rally.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
24 May 2025
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Fayetteville Sad Palomino’s Will King releases a collection of home recordings In between horsing around with his longtime band Sad Palomino, Will King has been recording and trying to decide the best way to share songs, mostly written during winters from 2020 to 2025.—
Monica Hooper,
Arkansas Online,
25 May 2025
Verb
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Checking these crooked politicians who ain’t playing fair/ Shut up!—
Anna Chan,
Billboard,
20 June 2025
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The Liberty were overpowered by a refreshed Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever squad while playing shorthanded without Jonquel Jones.—
Devin Robertson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
Verb
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Nothing beats the taste of a refreshing piece of watermelon on a hot day, so having some cut up and ready in the refrigerator is crucial as the days warm up.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
14 June 2025
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Sandoval had cut up furniture in a rage and could make their tough brother cry, says Matt Green.—
Erin Moriarty,
CBS News,
11 June 2025
Verb
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Mbaye needed little time to show off his powerful dribbling, with his direct running crucial in the lead-up to PSG’s fourth goal at the Rose Bowl.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
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Both occasions were a chance for Pitt to show off a new buzzcut reminiscent of his look circa 2004, first unveiled in Mexico City on June 9.—
Jack Smart,
People.com,
18 June 2025
Verb
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But why are the Browns even messing around with this stuff?—
Zac Jackson,
New York Times,
17 June 2025
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Paddy: But not all of my dad's college years were about messing around.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
11 June 2025
Verb
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Sizes Tablecloths should hang about 8-16 inches on each side for formal dining and about 3-6 inches on each side for casual dining.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
10 June 2025
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Most asteroids hang about in the Mars to Jupiter region, and the ones near Earth obviously hang about a bit closer.—
Dana Taylor,
USA TODAY,
2 Oct. 2024
Verb
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For the first time, Tindall had to act up without his partner over these past two weeks, with Graeme Jones, his fellow assistant, deputising alongside him.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
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Is his palm injury acting up again, or the pressure to join the elite company of Jack Nicklaus, who won 3 times at The PLAYERS Championship?—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
16 Mar. 2025
Verb
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When Alison Krauss was kicking around ideas on what to name her latest album with Union Station, the eureka moment came while on the phone with a friend, who just happened to be on their way to play a church gig in a tiny Louisiana town called Arcadia.—
Garret K. Woodward,
Rolling Stone,
30 Mar. 2025
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The twin sisters, 32, kicked around the idea after each went on maternity leave for three months in 2024, yet their business grew nearly eight-fold from $10 million in annual sales to $75 million in annual sales.—
Jennifer Liu,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fool around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fool%20around. Accessed 24 Jun. 2025.
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