as in funning
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
all that monkeying was sure to end in someone or something getting hurt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in prankish
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for monkeying
Adjective
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Still, at its best, Needle Guy applies Brady’s prankish energy to unsettling inversions of his inspirations.—
Colin Joyce,
Pitchfork,
25 Mar. 2026 -
Yet, the prankish tone keeps Grace from having much of a personality, other than a rebellious screw this.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But the series’ genre switch is just a theatrical exercise, like Euphoria is putting on another play, this one against a Harmony Korine– and Quentin Tarantino–aping backdrop.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The re-enactments, which include bomb-making and transportation, as well as the three-pronged plan to escape, have a flavor that calls to mind ’70s heist and spy films, accompanied by Michael James Lee’s jaunty, genre-aping score.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There was none of the usual laughing and joking.—
Mario Cortegana,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Lindsay says that Jesse was serious about asking, but that the make-out would be a joking make-out.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The rabbi is ornery, arrogant, sometimes cruel.—
Daniel Felsenthal,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
-
For ornery toddlers, who want to do everything themselves, Rao suggests giving them their own toothbrush to use while parents brush their teeth with a second one right alongside them.—
Sarah Lindenfeld Hall,
Popular Science,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
One of their tactics was to charge record requesters not just for copying costs but for the time workers spent assembling the records.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Donnie is now directing and starring in a movie with his particular style and flair and expertise that isn’t copying anything from the Wick world but is furthering the story of one of the most extraordinary characters to come out of the Wick universe ever.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Comedy and clowning are ways Zaalan has connected with their homeland after the Syrian revolution.—
Candace Hansen,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Plans are now underway for a contemporary reimagining of the series, which saw McShane play the eponymous roguish and fourth wall-breaking antiques dealer, a likeable anti-hero with a knack for recognizing genuine antiques from fakes or forgeries.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Joe Morrow plays the roguish Sean.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
All supported by the fasting-mimicking Chenot Diet® and therapies designed to activate cellular repair.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Kim, in turn, accused Kourtney of mimicking her own 2014 nuptials to Kanye West in what became a viral meme.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
13 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Monkeying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkeying. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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