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
The Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park has some monkey business going on: updates to its primate and other animal habitats, educational buildings and pathways.
—
Lillian Ashworth, Oc Register, 18 July 2025
Do a direct export from the original system—no monkey business.
—James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 July 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for monkey business
Lillian Ashworth, Oc Register, 18 July 2025
Do a direct export from the original system—no monkey business.
—James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 July 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for monkey business
Recent Examples of Synonyms for monkey business
Noun
-
Harry Styles is ready to do some late-night joking.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
23 Feb. 2026
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Written in a joking and contemptuous tone, the tweet would take on an indescribably morbid weight just five days later, when, at the behest of Governor Cláudio Castro, the Rio de Janeiro police carried out the deadliest massacre in the country’s history.—
Evandro Cruz Silva,
The Dial,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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There were bits of physical comedy — the flower, the bowing and scraping around Catherine de Bourgh — that was kind of clowning, really.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
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The balance is also what clowning is.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Yet this is truly an ensemble show, in which each performer has multiple opportunities to shine, executing some splendidly silly bits together, such as delivering CPR to a sandwich or convincingly channeling their inner tots during some post-bedtime horseplay.—
Rob Hubbard,
Twin Cities,
1 Feb. 2026
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There was reportedly no horseplay or swerving during the ride, according to 9News.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
22 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Death by Lightning, adapted by Mike Makowsky from Candice Millard’s 2011 nonfiction book and directed by Matt Ross, hums with the strength of these performances, particularly Shannon’s quiet composure and Macfadyen mining new depths of buffoonery.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
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North Coast Rep will present a show Dec. 11-Dec. 14 with bubbling energy and comedic buffoonery in the British Pantomime version of The Adventures of Robin Hood as its next student production.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Nov. 2025
Noun
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As for Abdul-Mateen, the clownery will resume for him on Broadway.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2022
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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
Noun
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Melissa has teamed up with Sanrio’s Hello Kitty and Friends once again to create a nostalgic and vibrant collection that merges Melissa’s irreverence with Sanrio’s playfulness.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
24 Feb. 2026
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The sense of playfulness and experimentation extended to Fennell and Sandgren’s influences and reference points, which went beyond other films and even paintings and into more unorthodox areas.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The boys challenge each other to throw heavy objects, which leads to intense roughhousing.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
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The actor shared rare photos of the teen with his younger siblings, getting it in at the gym, hiking, and roughhousing.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The Jazz are 15-35, which puts them at the sixth pick if zero lottery-ball tomfoolery happens.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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But enough of all that tomfoolery, because there is one person on the beach who knows exactly what is about to happen!—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Monkey business.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkey%20business. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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