monkey (around)

verb

Definition of monkey (around)next
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

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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)
  1. horse around
  2. play
  3. fool around
  4. hang about
  5. cut up
  6. show off
Verb
  • Also, don’t get too out of control horsing around with friends in the water.
    — John Natale, Hartford Courant, 16 Aug. 2026
  • According to McGrady, the only royal who didn’t enjoy the time away in the Highlands was the late Princess Diana, who didn’t fit in with the family’s outdoorsy vibes and didn’t enjoy riding horses around the property due to a fall as a child.
    — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of horse around
Verb
  • The service got its name from the original Mechanical Turk, an 18th century chess-playing robot that was actually controlled by a human chess master.
    — Annie Palmer, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Music, David said, plays a significant role in his recovery process.
    — Bianna Golodryga, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of play
Verb
  • As Marshall and Alice consider one another and then start to fool around, the sequence feels organic and dangerous without being forced.
    — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Another horny couple on vacation couldn’t wait until their flight landed to fool around and insisted on doing so in the plane's cabin.
    — Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Definition of fool around
Verb
  • President James Garfield’s assassin, Charles Guiteau, died by hanging about five months after he was convicted of murder.
    — USA Today, USA Today, 17 June 2026
  • On Monday, May 18, a 7%-illuminated crescent will hang about two degrees from Venus, with Jupiter about 20 degrees above.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 15 May 2026
Definition of hang about
Verb
  • Mix a package of instant potatoes with a half packet of stuffing mix and some cut up salami.
    — Diana Helmuth, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Store Fresh Produce and Salads in Jars Speaking of prepping produce, Costello always makes sure to wash and cut up fresh fruit and veggies for meals and snacking.
    — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of cut up
Verb
  • Investor and Reddit cofounder Ohanian offered a tour of his family farm in Jupiter, Florida, in a LinkedIn post on Thursday, showing off banana shoots, an herb garden, and apiary.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Two days after a dominant close to the joint practice against the Chicago Bears by the rebuilt defense, the roster depth Cincinnati is banking on as a weapon of attack this season showed off in a 27-9 win against Chicago.
    — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of show off
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.

Browse Nearby Words

monkey
monkey (around)
monkey business
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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 26 Aug. 2026.

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