1
as in devilment
playful, reckless behavior that is not intended to cause serious harm
the children claimed that setting off a firecracker was harmless mischief, but they got a lecture anyway
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in playfulness
a natural disposition for playful behavior
your mother was full of mischief as a child, believe it or not
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in monkey
an appealingly mischievous person
he's a little mischief who means no harm
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mischief
Martin’s dry, precise mischief colliding with Short’s elastic characters and musical parodies, plus top-tier musicianship.
—
Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 10 Feb. 2026
Errington has an endearing likability and a sense of mischief, but more aggressiveness and overconfidence would better suit the character.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
Toto, the little mischief-maker, was about to become part of our family.
—Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, Arzola remains locked up at a Miami-Dade County jail as of Saturday and was charged with armed robbery, false imprisonment and criminal mischief.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mischief
Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 10 Feb. 2026
Errington has an endearing likability and a sense of mischief, but more aggressiveness and overconfidence would better suit the character.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
Toto, the little mischief-maker, was about to become part of our family.
—Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, Arzola remains locked up at a Miami-Dade County jail as of Saturday and was charged with armed robbery, false imprisonment and criminal mischief.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mischief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mischief
Noun
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Mustard and vinegar provide the devilment for a flavorful bite, particularly when topped with a scattering of scallions and paprika.—
SAVEUR Editors,
Saveur,
5 Feb. 2025
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But even if truffles are beyond your pay grade, there is plenty of enjoyment to be had in the sheer devilment portrayed in this informative and appetizing book.—
Eugenia Bone,
WSJ,
10 July 2019
Noun
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In Camps’ hands, a cable or crewneck is never simply just that — there’s a playfulness to her draping and cutouts, subverted by the juxtaposition of gossamer-like fine gauge underpinnings with cozier, enveloping sweaters.—
Ari Stark,
Footwear News,
11 Feb. 2026
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Fans across the globe loved its authenticity, its complex rhythms, the playfulness oozing out of his collaborations with young musicians from San Juan music schools.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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And the desk chairs weave a story of Nevis, adorned with nods to its lush flora and playful green vervet monkeys, the iconic ambassadors of the island.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Feb. 2026
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Imagery illustrating Black people as apes, monkeys and other primates has long been considered racist in America.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Social media users can’t get enough of Chico’s antics, as many lauded his mischievousness.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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Soon, the America’s Got Talent stage descended into pure chaos, with Cowell and Mandel showcasing their innate mischievousness before the latter turned his attention toward his fellow judges.—
Tyler Jenke,
Billboard,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
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To play devil’s advocate, Rodriguez has exhausted a lot of patience (there’s a funny quote in Felipe Cardenas’ analysis about his physical stats).—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
6 Feb. 2026
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Among the fastest-growing indoor plants is golden pathos or devil’s ivy (Epipremnum aureum).—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Pearl revels in wickedness, presenting a literary world in which a successful writer’s haughtiness is both encouraged and rewarded.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
15 Dec. 2025
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But despite this being the internet, there’s no wickedness being thrust around — everyone’s taking the chance to get in on a memeless rollout.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
25 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Still, the pure rascality in these extravagant self-inventions shouldn’t be overlooked.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
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Naturally, such rascality didn't do overall fuel economy any favors; in fact, my average was just 20 mpg (11.8 L/100 km) over the course of 125 miles at the E 350's helm.—
Peter Nelson,
Ars Technica,
18 Apr. 2024
Noun
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Dancing spirits, dressed in Victorian-era garb, stir up devilry as the night unfolds.—
Abby Hamblin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Oct. 2025
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If Michael Jackson moonwalked so that Prince could show us the face of God with his brain-melting 2007 set, the NFL’s reaction to Fox’s inspired bit of devilry set the stage for the league’s eventual takeover of the American psyche.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mischief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mischief. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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