1
as in cutting up
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 fiddling (around)
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
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Recent Examples of fooling around
Zeus did not approve of his daughter fooling around with this mortal roughneck hunter and put out a hit on Orion.
—
Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
The transition was rough for Ansari, who wasn’t fluent in English and often got in trouble for fooling around in school.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Gisin hopes that by fooling around with measurements of these more exotic states, physicists will come to better understand the role of measurement in general.
—Quanta Magazine, 8 Aug. 2025
Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
The transition was rough for Ansari, who wasn’t fluent in English and often got in trouble for fooling around in school.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Gisin hopes that by fooling around with measurements of these more exotic states, physicists will come to better understand the role of measurement in general.
—Quanta Magazine, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fooling around
Verb
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In response, staff proposed cutting up to five meetings per commission in the next fiscal year, along with other cost-saving measures such as freezing community ambassador stipends, to help close the city’s projected $66 million budget gap.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
19 May 2026
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Misael eating meat alone, cutting up pieces with an enormous knife while barely lit by the flames in front of him, and, sporadically, almost-silent lightning bursts in the distant background.—
Vadim Rizov,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Bevel was horsing around with the Reverend James Orange and Andy Young in the courtyard under King's balcony, according to Orange.—
Gail Sheehy,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
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In April 2020, Iglesias shared a video of him horsing around with Lucy and Nicholas as the pair attempted to climb on his back for a ride.—
Andrea Wurzburger,
PEOPLE,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Like Van Ness, Morgan is a former first-round pick who hasn’t yet lived up to that billing but has a chance to do so this season while playing the most pivotal role of his career so far.—
Matt Schneidman,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
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For the first time in nearly two decades, the Eagle Rock softball team will be playing in a CIF LA City Section title game.—
Justin Vigil Zuniga,
Daily News,
28 May 2026
Verb
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The matching set featured a jacket on top with a high neckline, and a skirt that included a high slit, showing off the actress's toned legs.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
23 May 2026
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One Burger King ad shows Grogu (also known as Baby Yoda) and his adoptive father, the Mandalorian, walking into a cantina, where a Burger King employee is showing off a tray of food.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Baye continued acting up until 2023.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
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The capsule’s toilet is already acting up.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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All of our memories are traveling the world, messing around, having fun, and being teenagers.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
22 May 2026
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Winners Week 1 in primetime The schedule makers weren’t messing around with the opening week of games under the lights.—
Jeff Howe,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Verb
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In 2019, city employees began hanging about 500 trick-or-treat pumpkin buckets in the trees on Main Street every October.—
Elliott Harrell,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Oct. 2025
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Orion Nebula Those viewing from a dark sky location may also notice a blurry patch of light hanging about 5 degrees below Orion's belt.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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There are a few great Star Wars arcade games still kicking around, but this one is my personal favorite.—
Alex James Kane,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
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Odenkirk and Kolstad have begun kicking around ideas for extending the character into an ongoing franchise.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fooling around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fooling%20around. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
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