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
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
Quanta Magazine, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fooling around
Verb
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Ford is planning on cutting up to 1,000 roles in electric-vehicle production in Germany.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Proposition 50 would turn back the clock of progress, cutting up our neighborhoods for political gain and silencing the very voices that fought hardest for fairness.—
Bernadette Suarez,
Oc Register,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Vought, who helped write the policy blueprint known as Project 2025, is playing a major role during the shutdown, including on decisions over whether there are mass layoffs of federal employees instead of furloughs and what funding is cut and what is allowed to flow.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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George Clooney is playing a movie star, and that was sort of built into the idea.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The couple gets cozy (literally and sartorially speaking) in the new photo shoot, embracing each other while showing off the clothing brand's latest women's and men's apparel, which is fitting for the festive season right around the corner.—
Michelle Lee,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
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The bandeau was attached with a lace mesh fabric, and there was a second triangle cutout showing off her abs.—
Hedy Phillips,
People.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Mature parents do not slap their children across the face for acting up.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Then the engine started acting up, which would have cost up to $10,000 to fix.—
Shannon Pettypiece,
NBC news,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Around March, during a session with Allen and Slatkin, Maddell started messing around with chords to pair with an acoustic that Slatkin had at the ready.—
Josh Glicksman,
Billboard,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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There are a number of great kitchenware deals kicking around, including markdowns on nonstick and stainless steel cookware, air fryers, Keurigs, and immersion blenders.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
3 Oct. 2025
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None is more important than what’s been kicking around for at least six decades, a project to bolster California’s north-to-south shipments of water by bypassing the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fooling around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fooling%20around. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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