as in joking
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
when he saw us spraying each other with the hose instead of washing the car, Dad yelled, "Cut out the horseplay!"
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of horseplay
On my gondola, however, horseplay is not only encouraged, it is required.
—
Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 24 Sep. 2024
The action anime feature for everyone who couldn’t get enough of the horseplay in The Two Towers has finally cantered onto Max.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 1 Mar. 2025
Key speeches are faithfully delivered to an audience of two, not thousands; a scene of soldiers destructively revelling on a bridge is given a different spirit by ironic, out-of-time horseplay.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 8 Feb. 2025
And yes, there were cases on public roads where the horseplay turned dangerous.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for horseplay
Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 24 Sep. 2024
The action anime feature for everyone who couldn’t get enough of the horseplay in The Two Towers has finally cantered onto Max.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 1 Mar. 2025
Key speeches are faithfully delivered to an audience of two, not thousands; a scene of soldiers destructively revelling on a bridge is given a different spirit by ironic, out-of-time horseplay.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 8 Feb. 2025
And yes, there were cases on public roads where the horseplay turned dangerous.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for horseplay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horseplay
Noun
-
This makes the roughhouse ballet a satisfying bridge to the final scene in Roberta’s room, where their vulnerabilities are revealed.—
Peter Marks,
Washington Post,
14 Nov. 2023
-
Weighing between eight and 10 pounds, these pooches are not ideal for young kids who tend to roughhouse.—
Country Living,
Country Living,
1 May 2023
Noun
-
Another aspect to note is that the AI didn’t ridicule me or otherwise play any tomfoolery about my need for assistance.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2025
-
Would that all life could be filled with such tomfoolery.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
9 May 2025
Noun
-
The other person who spoke in South Carolina, Tim Walz, is a special mixture of extreme buffoonery and a mean spirit, which is a toxic brew.—
Jenny Goldsberry,
The Washington Examiner,
1 June 2025
-
Certainly hope none of you will be complicit in this buffoonery.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
Tirhakah Love is a senior writer at New York Magazine and the host of the new evening newsletter Dinner Party, a daily email that touches on all things entertainment — that means film, television, music, tech, and gaming — plus politics and corporate clownery.—
Vulture,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2022
-
The Winx Club live action is a big clownery!—
Olivia Truffaut-Wong,
refinery29.com,
25 Jan. 2021
Noun
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True to the Housefull world, Housefull 5 is a no-brainer, full of slapstick comedy, vulgar and suggestive dialogues and mostly unfunny jokes.—
Sweta Kaushal,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
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The Three Stooges, who made the seltzer bottle a signature of their madcap slapstick brand of comedy, grew up in a Jewish household.—
Liza Weisstuch,
Smithsonian Magazine,
12 June 2025
Noun
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The brand’s monkey business button-up collared shirt was worn by Blackpink’s Lisa in one of the opening scenes of the premiere episode.—
Julia Teti,
WWD,
19 Feb. 2025
-
No side bets with them or other monkey business!—
Brady Dale,
Axios,
11 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Horseplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horseplay. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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