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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Kornet played six minutes, missed all three of his shot attempts and finished with only two points, but the block was an epic moment.—
Tim Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
-
Ward has played just nine games in left field for OKC this season.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Instead of dwelling in doubt, cut up paper and throw it around.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
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Firefighting crews worked Monday to cool residual heat and prevent hot spots from causing reignition, using chainsaws to fell and cut up hazardous trees, inspecting each section for heat and using hoses to extinguish any remaining embers.—
Forum News Service,
Twin Cities,
20 May 2026
Verb
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On Wednesday, the 60-year-old actress showed off her svelte physique in a skimpy orange two-piece from her Elizabeth Hurley Beach brand.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
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Back in April, Brittany proudly showed off some snaps of her girl dressed in a cowboy hat, denim dress and cowboy boots.—
Clare Fisher,
PEOPLE,
26 May 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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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
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That bill's kicked around on the House's calendar for a few weeks now.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fooled around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fooled%20around. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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