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
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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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Biel, who played so well in 2025 Charlotte FC brought him back on permanent transfer in 2026, received a pass from Ashley Westwood on a set play and fired a shot into the back of the net.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Mar. 2026
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The two teams played their Class 6A Division ll girls state championship basketball game at the Alamodome in San Antonio on March 7, 2026.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At one point, a member of the Revolutionary Guard came over to cut up Khamenei’s breakfast meat.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
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Her voice is intimate and resonant, whether cut up into indistinct background flurries or pushed to the front of the mix.—
Alex Robert Ross,
Pitchfork,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Students showed off their animals on Saturday at the Bastrop Area Livestock Show on Saturday at the Ken Estepp Show Barn in Bastrop.—
Austin American Statesman,
Austin American Statesman,
9 Mar. 2026
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Damien showed off its three-point shooting in a win over Crespi.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 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
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One of the ideas that has been kicked around is putting the playoff event in larger cities and more historic venues.—
Bob Buttitta,
Oc Register,
23 Feb. 2026
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One of the things that have been kicked around is a one-time 5% tax on billionaires.—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacbee.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fooled around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fooled%20around. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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