as in joking
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
the new nanny will not tolerate such monkey business from her charges
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of monkey business
Theo James and Theo James are getting into some serious monkey business.
—
Nick Romano, EW.com, 12 Aug. 2024
But there was some monkey business during his very first scene that gave him pause.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 10 May 2024
There’s a whole lot of monkey business going on this spring in movie theaters.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024
Orangutans: Bella and Segundo Relationship status: A blind date that didn't go so well
Sometimes matchmaking can feel a bit like monkey business.
—Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 7 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for monkey business
Nick Romano, EW.com, 12 Aug. 2024
But there was some monkey business during his very first scene that gave him pause.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 10 May 2024
There’s a whole lot of monkey business going on this spring in movie theaters.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024
Orangutans: Bella and Segundo Relationship status: A blind date that didn't go so well
Sometimes matchmaking can feel a bit like monkey business.
—Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 7 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for monkey business
Recent Examples of Synonyms for monkey business
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
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The other person who spoke in South Carolina, Tim Walz, is a special mixture of extreme buffoonery and a mean spirit, which is a toxic brew.—
Jenny Goldsberry,
The Washington Examiner,
1 June 2025
-
Certainly hope none of you will be complicit in this buffoonery.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
23 May 2025
Noun
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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
-
The Winx Club live action is a big clownery!—
Olivia Truffaut-Wong,
refinery29.com,
25 Jan. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Monkey business.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkey%20business. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.
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