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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fooled around
Verb
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Not in any explicit way—my father wasn’t the cranky, alcoholic ex-minor league baseball player who drove around Los Angeles with his pool cleaning equipment in the back of his Cadillac convertible played by Matthau.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025 -
Verma played a key role in setting the Proteas a challenging target after the final was delayed by two hours because of rain.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Airlines also continue to cancel flights nationwide to meet FAA demands to cut up to 10% of flights within the next week.—
Michael Salerno,
AZCentral.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The chicken, now cut up into small pieces at the lunch hour, soaks up the broth and packs an even more flavorful punch.—
Joseph Hernandez,
Kansas City Star,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
About halfway through, Dylan showed off his now-classic body roll move.—
Brianne Tracy,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
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While Hawke, who played Manson family member Linda Kasabian/’Flowerchild’, did not end up barefoot in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, her co-star Margaret Qualley famously showed off her lower extremities in the film.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The club had kicked around the idea of Suárez and Nola sharing an outing, but it was made official on Monday night after a gut-wrenching Game 2 loss.—
Charlotte Varnes,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
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Other ideas kicked around over the years have been subsidized housing or even returning it to its history of entertainment, as a high-end theater and performing arts academy.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Fooled around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fooled%20around. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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