as in to play (around)
formal + disapproving
to have sexual intercourse
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Recent Examples of fornicate
These are unhappy hedonists, boozing and fornicating for lack of fulfillment.
—
Dan Stahl, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
Tenants like Thomas have sent Gorman and Company scores of photos and videos showing people in the hallways fornicating, using drugs, sleeping and fighting, among other unsavory activities.
—Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 31 Oct. 2025
When female artists came calling, his staff would vacate, and according to office lore, the Gar Man would fornicate with a lucky few.
—Tom Freston, Vulture, 28 Oct. 2025
Age-old paintings of satyrs bedding nymphs and mythological figures fornicating have been newly unearthed at a small house at Pompeii.
—Alex Greenberger For Artnews, Robb Report, 30 Oct. 2024
Age-old paintings of satyrs bedding nymphs and mythological figures fornicating have been newly unearthed at a small house at Pompeii.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 25 Oct. 2024
From bodily function issues and kid shenanigans to videos of terrible tattoos and people looking to fornicate with anything that has a pulse, fans serve as their own laugh track.
—Ali Lerman, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2024
Welcome back, George Santos — or, as many began calling Donald Trump’s number two in reference to the false viral claim that Vance has fornicated with furniture, hello, Sofa Loren.
—Samantha Allen, Them, 12 Aug. 2024
Dan Stahl, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
Tenants like Thomas have sent Gorman and Company scores of photos and videos showing people in the hallways fornicating, using drugs, sleeping and fighting, among other unsavory activities.
—Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 31 Oct. 2025
When female artists came calling, his staff would vacate, and according to office lore, the Gar Man would fornicate with a lucky few.
—Tom Freston, Vulture, 28 Oct. 2025
Age-old paintings of satyrs bedding nymphs and mythological figures fornicating have been newly unearthed at a small house at Pompeii.
—Alex Greenberger For Artnews, Robb Report, 30 Oct. 2024
Age-old paintings of satyrs bedding nymphs and mythological figures fornicating have been newly unearthed at a small house at Pompeii.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 25 Oct. 2024
From bodily function issues and kid shenanigans to videos of terrible tattoos and people looking to fornicate with anything that has a pulse, fans serve as their own laugh track.
—Ali Lerman, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2024
Welcome back, George Santos — or, as many began calling Donald Trump’s number two in reference to the false viral claim that Vance has fornicated with furniture, hello, Sofa Loren.
—Samantha Allen, Them, 12 Aug. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fornicate
Verb
-
Beyoncé Honors Tina Turner at Paris 'Renaissance' Show At the time, few knew the horrors of her life offstage and in studios with her abusive and womanizing husband.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
14 June 2023
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That his father was a difficult, violent, womanizing alcoholic, holding 34 jobs in 44 years.—
Karen Heller,
Washington Post,
3 May 2023
Verb
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In November 1995, Funston took a 5-year-old boy into some bushes, pulled down his pants and orally copulated him, prosecutors said.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
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After copulating, the two males lay immobile on the seafloor as the female swam away.—
Jack Guy,
CNN Money,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
-
Bella Ramsey takes a break from killing zombies and avenging father figures, their usual pastimes in series The Last of Us, to fool around and fall in love in Sunny Dancer, a decidedly uneven but fitfully charming, YA-skewed British comedy-drama.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fornicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fornicate. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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