as in funning
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
all that monkeying was sure to end in someone or something getting hurt
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in prankish
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for monkeying
Adjective
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And within the prankish world created by the production, not everyone was in on the joke.—
David Renard,
New York Times,
1 May 2025 -
Fuchs put a prankish spin on the descending octaves that tootle above the reprise of the symphony’s solemn opening.—
Alex Ross,
The New Yorker,
9 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Critics accused him of aping Farage’s rhetoric and warned that Labour could lose votes to the left in trying to court the right.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
30 Sep. 2025
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Ryback shows the younger man's relaxation-as-growth around impressive set pieces, including a segment of aping famed concert pianists Alfred Brendel and Glenn Gould as well as Hoffman's blistering rant after a visit to Dachau.—
Jim Higgins,
jsonline.com,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Self was in a joking mood when asked about the squad’s stellar defensive play.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
29 Oct. 2025
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Jones eventually got into his joking bag, and Bleek took that opportunity to seriously set the record straight one last time.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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With its abundance of concrete, startling interior views, and play of deep shadows, the design invokes the ornery inventiveness of Kahn and Paul Rudolph, combined with the corporate sleekness of MoMA’s most recent iterations by Yoshio Taniguchi and Diller Scofidio + Renfro.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
3 Nov. 2025
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At 0-2, the Chiefs may be a little more ornery than usual.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Funyyzo Wide-Leg Pants Inspired by Kelly Clarkson Or, consider copying Clarkson’s red-hot look with these vibrant pants that have amassed more than 5,100 perfect ratings.—
Averi Baudler,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
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Marasco has accused Swift and her co-defendants of copying her poetry in lyrics and visuals from multiple albums, including , , and .—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Art, meanwhile, occupies a lonely table in the pizzeria and tries to put on his best clowning act for the two women.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
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As with older clowning traditions, the early American circus clowns were adults performing taboo acts to shock and delight other adults.—
Time,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Autumn Springs is populated by finely wrought individuals, led by the indomitable Rose and her roguish friend Miller.—
Neil McRobert,
Vulture,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Join me in mimicking Markle’s smart layering trick by shopping for similar tops, sweaters, hats, and jeans.—
Izzy Baskette,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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Performing stand-up since the age of 15, Nasso first discovered his knack for impressions while mimicking SpongeBob and Shrek characters as a mustachioed, 160-pound 10-year-old boy.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
29 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Monkeying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkeying. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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