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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And then there’s Whitehead’s own work: erudite, prankish, experimental in a literal sense—the act of listening is sometimes the experiment.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025 -
And within the prankish world created by the production, not everyone was in on the joke.—
David Renard,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
Verb
-
Trying To Avoid The Generic However, having minimal buttons is hardly an original design strategy when so many EVs have followed this route (aping Tesla).—
James Morris,
Forbes.com,
17 Jan. 2026
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The failure of Hollywood’s first take on Godzilla, which reimagined this towering icon into a skittering lizard that was clearly aping more from Jurassic Park than any of the kaiju films that came before it, positioned the start of Godzilla’s third era as something of a return to form.—
James Grebey,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The women’s team declined their joking invitation and had to explain comments directed at them.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Feb. 2026
-
The tiny macaque, born on July 26, is often spotted clutching a plush toy from IKEA and has melted hearts across the internet, inspiring a wave of comments from fans half-joking about booking flights to Japan to check on him.—
Joshua Mellin,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
With two adults, three children, and one ornery cat living in the same house, keeping track of everyone’s stuff can sometimes seem overwhelming.—
Libby Monteith Minor,
Southern Living,
21 Feb. 2026
-
But Duvall rose to prominence the next decade, first as the ornery Major Frank Burns in the 1970 antiwar comedy M*A*S*H, reuniting with Robert Altman, who’d previously cast him in 1967’s Countdown.—
Tim Grierson,
Rolling Stone,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The human brain doesn’t achieve intelligence by copying one type of neuron billions of times, but by combining many different specialized cell types and circuits that work together.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
26 Feb. 2026
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Trader Joe’s is also facing a legal challenge from Smucker, which has filed a lawsuit accusing it of copying its trademark crustless peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, The Times reported last year.—
Iris Kwok,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Yes, this is the modern clowning that all the thinkpieces are thinking about.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
1 Mar. 2026
-
With an impressive ability to do accents and a background in clowning, Storrie is made for this.—
Tiffany Kelly,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
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Joe Morrow plays the roguish Sean.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Shortly after trumpeter Ethan Marks took to the sidewalk, one of the American Hotel’s current residents leaned out his window and began vocally and jovially mimicking the fragmented and angular notes coming from the instrument.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
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The radiant tint adds just a touch of glow to the skin—mimicking a post-facial radiance—that doesn’t look glittery or emphasize texture.—
Kaitlin Clapinski,
InStyle,
4 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Monkeying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkeying. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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