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
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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
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Recent Examples of horsing around
Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
In April 2020, Iglesias shared a video of him horsing around with Lucy and Nicholas as the pair attempted to climb on his back for a ride.
—Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026
Verb
Bevel was horsing around with the Reverend James Orange and Andy Young in the courtyard under King's balcony, according to Orange.
—Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
In April 2020, Iglesias shared a video of him horsing around with Lucy and Nicholas as the pair attempted to climb on his back for a ride.
—Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horsing around
Noun
-
Lindsay says that Jesse was serious about asking, but that the make-out would be a joking make-out.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The women’s team declined their joking invitation and had to explain comments directed at them.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
-
Ford is planning on cutting up to 1,000 roles in electric-vehicle production in Germany.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Barnett was the second Mississippi resident to take the monkey business into their own hands.—
Bracey Harris,
NBC news,
5 Nov. 2025
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The monkey business is dominated by a handful of highly secretive and rivalrous brokers.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 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
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The transition was rough for Ansari, who wasn’t fluent in English and often got in trouble for fooling around in school.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In the years since Boogie Nights, Leo has made an unlikely hit out of The Man in the Iron Mask, then took the role of Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, showing off his range and turning that surreal and often horrifying movie into another $100 million feather in his cap.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026
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This Friday the 13th, showing off your tats can get you some free lunch.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Bruce, as the stunt shark built to menace them is nicknamed, is acting up and delaying the acting itself.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
10 Mar. 2026
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Meanwhile, the guests, who have literally just arrived five minutes ago, are already acting up.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Yes, this is the modern clowning that all the thinkpieces are thinking about.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
1 Mar. 2026
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With an impressive ability to do accents and a background in clowning, Storrie is made for this.—
Tiffany Kelly,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Those dousings also prompted outrage from police leaders — who decried it as an inexcusable sign of disrespect, and even suggested that officers willing to walk away from that kind of horseplay should consider another line of work.—
Anthony Izaguirre,
Fortune,
26 Feb. 2026
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Yet this is truly an ensemble show, in which each performer has multiple opportunities to shine, executing some splendidly silly bits together, such as delivering CPR to a sandwich or convincingly channeling their inner tots during some post-bedtime horseplay.—
Rob Hubbard,
Twin Cities,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Horsing around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horsing%20around. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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