1
as in clowning (around)
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior
stop monkeying around in the house or you'll break something
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in fiddling (around)
to spend time in aimless activity
would rather just monkey around instead of doing work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for monkeying (around)
Verb
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Using unseen footage from Presley’s 1969 to 1976 Las Vegas residency, the movie plays the hits – plus The Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel – but also showcases his sense of humor, quipping with crowds and cutting up with bandmates.
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Always cutting up and making memories.
Verb
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Ella Bruccoleri may be playing a Bennet sister on TV, but the actress wasn’t always a fan of Jane Austen.
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According to court documents, Zimmerman was playing golf at the hotel's course throughout the day with friends.
Verb
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Bevel was horsing around with the Reverend James Orange and Andy Young in the courtyard under King's balcony, according to Orange.
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In April 2020, Iglesias shared a video of him horsing around with Lucy and Nicholas as the pair attempted to climb on his back for a ride.
Verb
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Zeus did not approve of his daughter fooling around with this mortal roughneck hunter and put out a hit on Orion.
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The transition was rough for Ansari, who wasn’t fluent in English and often got in trouble for fooling around in school.
Verb
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Hilton previously posted a video alongside her toddlers and her husband, Carter Reum, showing off the family's matching USMNT jerseys.
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Quavo said in a social media video, showing off a stack of cash.
Verb
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Kylian liked messing around, having a laugh and telling jokes — just like the rest of us.
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All of our memories are traveling the world, messing around, having fun, and being teenagers.
Verb
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Baye continued acting up until 2023.
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The capsule’s toilet is already acting up.
Verb
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President James Garfield’s assassin, Charles Guiteau, died by hanging about five months after he was convicted of murder.
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In 2019, city employees began hanging about 500 trick-or-treat pumpkin buckets in the trees on Main Street every October.
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Cite this Entry
“Monkeying (around).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkeying%20%28around%29. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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