as in to fool around
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior
the boys were horsing around on the boat when one of them fell overboard
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of horse around
Umberto Rispoli squeezed between horses around the top of the stretch and then rode Journalism to a tremendous rally.
—
Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 24 May 2025
The sport requires a combination of elegance and toughness as a team of eight girls wear long gowns, perfectly matching accessories and impeccable makeup while riding horses around an arena.
—Daniel Eduardo Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
Four people are facing charges in Louisiana for horsing around in a small-town Walmart last week.
Video that was posted on TikTok and went viral on social media showed three men and a teenage boy riding horses through the business in Baker, Louisiana.
—Elizabeth Pritchett, FOXNews.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Quit horsing around — the Clydesdales are back!
—Breanne L. Heldman, People.com, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for horse around
Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 24 May 2025
The sport requires a combination of elegance and toughness as a team of eight girls wear long gowns, perfectly matching accessories and impeccable makeup while riding horses around an arena.
—Daniel Eduardo Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
Four people are facing charges in Louisiana for horsing around in a small-town Walmart last week.
Video that was posted on TikTok and went viral on social media showed three men and a teenage boy riding horses through the business in Baker, Louisiana.
—Elizabeth Pritchett, FOXNews.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Quit horsing around — the Clydesdales are back!
—Breanne L. Heldman, People.com, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for horse around
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horse around
Verb
-
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,
Quanta Magazine,
8 Aug. 2025
-
Those have come from two players: Adrian Morejon of the San Diego Padres, who throws an odd knuckleball-changeup hybrid about 1 percent of the time, and Jonah Bride of the Minnesota Twins, an infielder fooling around with the knuckler in blowouts.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
Verb
-
Moore turns her daughter around and shows off her backside, which is also covered in poop.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The 21st annual Dine Downtown starts Friday, with more than 30 Sacramento restaurants showing off their chops with unique, limited-time prix fixe menus.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
ConocoPhillips announced plans to cut up to 25% of its global staff.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Meanwhile, as all of this is happening, Meredith is cutting up with the other ladies at the spa, without a care in the world.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Its general sensibility seems more Superstore than The Office, down to the interstitial montages of customers acting up in the perpetually overcrowded waiting room.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Sturm said his back started acting up after the team’s first practice.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
No need to pay to see the holiday lights; just drive or stroll around with friends and family to revel at all of the creativity and hard work.—
Laura Daily,
Denver Post,
2 Dec. 2025
-
While hundreds reveled at Thursday night’s all-out bash for The Pierre hotel’s 95th anniversary, some of the building’s tenants in the floors above haven’t been feeling quite as celebratory.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
21 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Horse around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horse%20around. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share