1
as in to clown (around)
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior
stop monkeying around in the house or you'll break something
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to goof (around)
to spend time in aimless activity
would rather just monkey around instead of doing work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for monkey (around)
Verb
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Running or horsing around with sparklers can also cause injuries and burns when users trip and fall.—
Justin Laube,
EverydayHealth.com,
2 July 2025 -
Umberto Rispoli squeezed between horses around the top of the stretch and then rode Journalism to a tremendous rally.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
24 May 2025
Verb
-
Malakian explains the role Ozzfest played in elevating System of a Down’s profile.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
26 July 2025
-
The Royals will play a split doubleheader against the Guardians on Saturday afternoon.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
26 July 2025
Verb
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Those have come from two players: Adrian Morejon of the San Diego Padres, who throws an odd knuckleball-changeup hybrid about 1 percent of the time, and Jonah Bride of the Minnesota Twins, an infielder fooling around with the knuckler in blowouts.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
-
As Molly and Guy start to fool around, things get hot and heavy, but Ernie has a job to do.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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And in order to maintain a nutritious balance to each of these meals, consider adding cut up vegetables (like celery or carrots) or fruit (strawberries or blueberries are easy options) to the plate.—
Stephanie Ganz,
Parents,
15 July 2025
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The information sector, including tech, is a major drag, with job cuts up 27% in the first half compared to the previous year.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
10 July 2025
Verb
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Gone are the days when New Line held their Scare Diego at a Gaslamp multiplex which previewed their upcoming genre movies, or Universal showed off early screenings of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Visit in 2015.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
24 July 2025
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World of Words, the brand-new exhibition at the Arni Magnusson Institute for Icelandic Studies, shows off the origins of Norse mythology to the public for the first time in over a decade.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
24 July 2025
Verb
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Sizes Tablecloths should hang about 8-16 inches on each side for formal dining and about 3-6 inches on each side for casual dining.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
10 June 2025
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Most asteroids hang about in the Mars to Jupiter region, and the ones near Earth obviously hang about a bit closer.—
Dana Taylor,
USA TODAY,
2 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Monkey (around).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkey%20%28around%29. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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