1
as in horsed 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 played
to spend time in aimless activity
we fooled around outdoors for a while, then went in to get some work done
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Recent Examples of fooled around
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
Joe McKendrick, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fooled around
Verb
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Its asymmetrical riff on the classic bucket hat takes the usual cut up a notch.—
Gretta Monahan,
Boston Herald,
18 June 2026
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The new non-stop flights will cut up to four hours off travel time compared to current one-stop services.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
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The smallest nation by size (171 square miles) and population — 158,000, or twice the size of Arrowhead Stadium’s capacity — stood with all fans as the national anthems for both teams played.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
21 June 2026
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Dalal said their son played there daily with his friends, taking advantage of a club policy that allows children under five to enter without a membership.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
Verb
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The actress showed off micro bangs and a chin-grazing chop for her role as a manager.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
22 June 2026
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In its first international friendly since March, the US showed off slick offense in a 3-2 win over Senegal in Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 31.—
Jim Sciutto,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
Verb
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Dragstrem, who focuses more on production, has messed around with it but was left unsatisfied; McGill, who’s more lyrics-driven, wants nothing to do with the tech.—
Jonathan Bernstein,
Rolling Stone,
30 May 2026
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In the email, Dixon suggested that the fire department employee may have messed around with the department's equipment.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 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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Near a door leading to a loading dock, a group of players on the host Vegas Golden Knights — including forward Mitch Marner, who went on to score a regulation hat trick in a 5-4 win — stood in a circle and kicked around a soccer ball.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
8 June 2026
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Fans draped themselves in Haitian flags and danced to upbeat compas music while children kicked around soccer balls at the small meet-and-greet.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fooled around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fooled%20around. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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