monkeying 1 of 3

noun

as in funning
wildly playful or mischievous behavior all that monkeying was sure to end in someone or something getting hurt

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monkeying

2 of 3

adjective

as in prankish

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Dissimilar Words

monkeying

3 of 3

verb

present participle of monkey
as in aping

Related Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for monkeying
  1. joking
  2. prankish
  3. aping
  4. clowning
  5. ornery
  6. copying
  7. tomfoolery
  8. roguish
Noun
  • Back in December 1968, Dolan wrote a joking column about the earlier Lake Worth monster, from way back in 1947.
    — Star-Telegram staff, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 July 2026
  • Oh, but the Padres manager was ready with the joking last night.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 June 2026
Definition of joking
Adjective
  • The catastrophies that our heroine averts are awfully small potatoes — a bulldozer running amok, an amusement park ride speeding out of control, some prankish teenagers scheming to turn the girl’s shower into a steambath.
    — Arthur Knight, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 2026
  • Angela Balogh Calin’s costumes prepare the way for Ionesco’s prankish jokes.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
Definition of prankish
Verb
  • Critics and fanboy media thrashed Supergirl not just for its Guardians of the Galaxy touchstones, but also for aping Mad Max.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 29 June 2026
  • For Shorts, the label will appear as a small overlay at the bottom of the video itself, although that will add to the already cluttered look of the TikTok-aping Shorts.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 27 May 2026
Definition of aping
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
Definition of clowning
Adjective
  • In the show, Kyle Chandler plays Hal Jordan, an ornery Green Lantern who is begrudgingly training his upstart protégé (Aaron Pierre).
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 16 July 2026
  • Leach also would publicly call out his players and could get ornery when questioned about his team’s shortcomings.
    — Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Definition of ornery
Verb
  • The Hamour and Lemon Mint pairing is more compelling because the drink responds directly to the food rather than copying the shape of a familiar cocktail.
    — Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • While copying the last testament of his predecessor—which warned of the dire need for a strong military—the young Dalai Lama discovered that corrupt officials were embezzling army funds.
    — Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 July 2026
Definition of copying
Noun
  • This is the first sign of the kind of tomfoolery Luke has in store for the night.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of tomfoolery
Adjective
  • The movie follows the life of feisty belle Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh), from growing up on a plantation to her love affairs, including with roguish Rhett Butler (Clark Gable).
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • The main Palm Dog went to Yuri, the roguish stray at the heart of Chilean director Dominga Sotomayor’s La Perra, premiering in Directors’ Fortnight.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
Definition of roguish
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

monkeyed (with)
monkeying
monkeying (around)
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Cite this Entry

“Monkeying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkeying. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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