as in joking
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
the new nanny will not tolerate such monkey business from her charges
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of monkey business
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
Theo James and Theo James are getting into some serious monkey business.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 12 Aug. 2024
There’s a whole lot of monkey business going on this spring in movie theaters.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for monkey business
Julia Teti, WWD, 19 Feb. 2025
No side bets with them or other monkey business!
—Brady Dale, Axios, 11 Feb. 2025
Theo James and Theo James are getting into some serious monkey business.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 12 Aug. 2024
There’s a whole lot of monkey business going on this spring in movie theaters.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for monkey business
Recent Examples of Synonyms for monkey business
Noun
-
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
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
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
Noun
-
He’s been tinkering with this messaging on and off since damn near the start of the century, when his criticism of the genre shifted from the power-holding executives (both white and Black) of the music industry who were profiting off buffoonery, a la Bamboozled, to rap music itself.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Stewart’s switch from his usual snark to imitate Colbert’s buffoonery proved how spiteful and irreligious political humor has become since the left’s worship of Barack Obama and subsequent persecution of President Trump.—
Armond White,
National Review,
25 July 2025
Noun
-
As for Abdul-Mateen, the clownery will resume for him on Broadway.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2022
-
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
Noun
-
Her rats' playfulness motivated her and eased feeling of loneliness, while her cats' soothing weight on her chest calmed her anxiety.—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The film is alive with stylistic playfulness.—
Leila Latif,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Monkey business.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkey%20business. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share