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
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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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Four people are facing charges in Louisiana for horsing around in a small-town Walmart last week. Video that was posted on TikTok and went viral on social media showed three men and a teenage boy riding horses through the business in Baker, Louisiana.—
Elizabeth Pritchett,
FOXNews.com,
16 Apr. 2025
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Quit horsing around — the Clydesdales are back!—
Breanne L. Heldman,
People.com,
10 Feb. 2025
Verb
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While physicians don’t have a definitive answer as to why heart failure typically causes cognitive decline, the following factors may play a role: Changes to the heart.—
Kaitlin Sullivan,
Health,
16 May 2025
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In his new Max series premiering Thursday, Duster, Holloway plays an Arizona getaway driver in the early 1970s.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2025
Verb
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How To Make Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole Prep bacon: To make this recipe even easier, cut up your bacon before cooking it.—
Mary Shannon Wells,
Southern Living,
10 May 2025
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The government still leads all sectors in job cuts through the first four months of the year, with government cuts up 680% compared to the first four months of 2024.—
Molly Bohannon,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
Verb
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Another photo showed off her cute but casual outfit and grabbing a coffee with a friend before class.—
Esther Kang,
People.com,
13 May 2025
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Google accidentally showed off its big Android design refresh last week, but now Material 3 Expressive is official.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2025
Verb
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Yeah, the team is old, and would have benefited from closing out the Rockets in five instead of messing around till Game 7.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
7 May 2025
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Interestingly, in the language of the Inupiat tribe of Alaska’s north slope, there’s no messing around with spring.—
Tom Hawking,
Popular Science,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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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
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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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While Goff’s impact on Frontierland is well documented — and Hahn notes, perhaps, an influence from Knott’s Berry Farm’s Ghost Town in these images — it’s also believed some of these designs were kicked around as a potential Main Street, U.S.A., concept.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2025
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Once down there, I was getting stood on, kicked around.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
9 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fool around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fool%20around. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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