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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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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Arthur would have looked very different had another actor played him, according to the filmmaker.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Suffice it to say that eventually the tale of childhood catches up with the adult Sasha (played by Amy Zimmer), a filmmaker, who attempts to make sense of her past and Jeremy’s fate by undertaking her own investigation, at several decades’ remove.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Scalping the lawn can assist doveweed's spread by cutting up pieces that root all over the lawn.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
11 Apr. 2026
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In the photo, Hat Rack is seen nestled within the weblike Sculpture for Traveling (1918), a net of rubber shower caps cut up and glued together that Duchamp took on a trip to Buenos Aires.—
Howard Halle,
ARTnews.com,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The campaign marked the first time that Davidson showed off his body since embarking on his $200,000 ink-removal journey in 2020.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
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At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this year, Chinese laser company Appotronics showed off its rival optical engines — including one for color display.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
-
That bill's kicked around on the House's calendar for a few weeks now.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
13 Apr. 2026
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People were kicked around in the pit, pancaked at the front of the stage, and the crowd surfing had a 90% fail rate.—
Deborah Sengupta Stith,
Austin American Statesman,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fooled around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fooled%20around. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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