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
-
Oh, but the Padres manager was ready with the joking last night.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 June 2026
-
Still, Yoon’s joking somehow lightens the mood.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
The clowning might be a little too effortful.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
-
As the race unfolds in real time, there’s clowning, collisions, sabotage, surprises, comedy, chaos and more.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
When horseplay turns into an impromptu hookup, neither of the young men fight the urge.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
17 June 2026
-
After France’s 4-3 victory against Argentina at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, horseplay between the players at the team hotel culminated in back-up centre-back Adil Rami setting off a fire extinguisher in the early hours of the morning.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Noun
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The show, with its interest in corporate buffoonery, doesn’t quite manage to hand-wave away the queasy implications.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Receivers have cratered seasons with me-over-we buffoonery.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Additional celebrities have used a floral shoe to add a burst of playfulness to their look or match an existing floral aesthetic in their outfit.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
17 June 2026
-
Her mom has documented her looks on Instagram, showing off her range and her playfulness (note her fake cast).—
Lydia Price,
PEOPLE,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
As expected, Aussies brought the roughhousing.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
20 June 2026
-
The boys challenge each other to throw heavy objects, which leads to intense roughhousing.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The project has been plagued by technical issues, supplier disputes, and alleged tomfoolery—empty mini tequila bottles were reportedly discovered on one of the airplanes under construction.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
12 June 2026
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The latest tomfoolery consisted of a posting on Twitter/X last week that provided a picture of a genuine Monet painting, and the picture was labeled as supposedly being AI-generated.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Monkey business.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkey%20business. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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