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horsed around

verb

past tense of horse around
as in clowned (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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for horsed around
  1. cut up
  2. fooled around
  3. showed off
  4. acted up
Verb
  • Duke Energy crews are working to cut up the tree and replace the pole, officials said.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Later, it was prevented from being cut up to decorate a carnival float.
    — Lauren Frayer, NPR, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of cut up
Verb
  • Not too long ago, artificial intelligence was more or less a science project in which data scientists and developers fooled around with one-off small or test projects.
    — Joe McKendrick, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Definition of fooled around
Verb
  • Mark Zuckerberg showed off Meta’s new glasses, named Meta VR Glasses, at the company’s annual Connect event in Menlo Park, Calif.
    — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2026
  • In a demo at its Menlo Park, California, headquarters on Tuesday, Meta showed off entertainment and work offerings on the glasses, including sports events and concerts that replicate the experience of having courtside or front-row seats.
    — Kaitlyn Huamani, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of showed off
Verb
  • And of course, Peterson not playing would have made some wonder if the McDonald’s All-American’s hamstring had acted up again.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 7 Dec. 2025
Definition of acted up
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.

Browse Nearby Words

horseback
horsed around
horsefeathers
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Horsed around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horsed%20around. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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