as in joking
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
at the beach there was a lot more horsing around on the sand than actual swimming in the water
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in cutting up
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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horsing around
Noun
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When Peanut pulled his second escape act, his owners knew where to look and handled Peanut's disappearance in a joking manner.—
Michael Nied,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025 -
Multiple outlets that examined the reporting identified the claim as unverified and labeled the story a hoax; Colbert had previously made a joking on-air reference to streaming platforms but had not announced any deal with Netflix.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The large surface makes cutting up fruits, veggies and meat easy.—
Christopher Murray
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park has some monkey business going on: updates to its primate and other animal habitats, educational buildings and pathways.—
Lillian Ashworth,
Oc Register,
18 July 2025
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Do a direct export from the original system—no monkey business.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 July 2025
Verb
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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
Verb
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Also on Tuesday, a video with Didi showing off boxes of Haitian money wrapped with bank slips circulated on Haitian social media alongside postings of other notorious gang leaders partying over the weekend in various parts of the capital.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
2 Sep. 2025
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In recent years, young women have been catapulted into virality by showing off their outfits for rush events, known on a corner of the internet as #RushTok.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
9 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Johnson, who struggles with a neuroma, swears by her Oofos mules to keep it from acting up.—
Jennifer Heimlich,
SELF,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Finally, after plenty of clowning, Taylor Swift has revealed that her 12th album is on the way, titled The Life of a Showgirl.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Butch Baker, who was Henry County sheriff until 2014, recalled an incident in which Bertram was accused of inappropriate horseplay at the community corrections office.—
Tony Cook,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
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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
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Cite this Entry
“Horsing around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horsing%20around. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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