MONKEYS Synonyms: 73 Similar and Opposite Words

monkeys 1 of 2

noun

plural of monkey

as in addictions

a physiological need for certain drugs I've got this monkey on my back, and going to detox is the only way to get it off

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as in devils

an appealingly mischievous person come back here, you little monkey!

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

monkeys

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of monkey

as in apes

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of monkeys

Noun

For example, travelers can explore Arenal Volcano, hike through the cloud forests of Monteverde, or spot wildlife like monkeys, sloths, and iguanas at Manuel Antonio National Park. — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 20 July 2026 The 2,000 year old pet cemetery in the ancient port city of Berenice, Egypt includes cats, dogs and even monkeys who were buried with their collars and necklaces, draped in textiles and pieces of pottery and otherwise treated as treasured pets. — Felicia Feaster, USA Today, 17 July 2026 The startup claims its ultrasound technology can deliver extraordinary amounts of full-sized dystrophin to the muscles of monkeys. — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 17 July 2026 Scientists estimate the monkeys weigh about 15 pounds, similar to a small dog, and span around four feet in length from nose to tail. — Miriam Waldvogel, Washington Post, 15 July 2026 Long-term studies in monkeys did not show the same abnormal thyroid cell growth seen in rodents. — Ziyad Al-Aly, The Conversation, 13 July 2026 The magazine’s anatomically graphic photos—rats butchered alive, dogs with their faces sliced open, monkeys screaming at the electrodes implanted in their abdomens—seemed like windows into hell. — Literary Hub, 10 July 2026 Workers were able to prevent more than 1,000 other monkeys at the facility from escaping. — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for monkeys

Noun

Jelly Roll has been open about his struggles battling alcohol and harder drug addictions.

— Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 16 July 2026
Rather, the concept is used to describe patterns of behavior that share similarities with human behavioral addictions.

— Adam England, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026

Definition of addictions

Noun

The 152 rooms celebrate Tasmania’s cultural and creative spirit, from the contemporary paintings of thylacines and Tasmanian devils, to the Blackheart sassafras ceiling inlays.

— Riley Wilson, Travel + Leisure, 19 June 2026
But there are lots of potential devils in the details (otherwise there’d be little need for experimental reactors).

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 9 June 2026

Definition of devils

Verb

The track apes the softly anthemic approach of U2, Coldplay, and the National—until all of that elegant uplift topples like an overly ambitious wedding cake.

— Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026
But if getting Andy back in the Runway fold feels a lot like getting her into it in the first film, that feeling will only persist, as the sequel apes the original feature nearly beat for beat, with some small swaps here and there.

— Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 29 Apr. 2026

Definition of apes

Noun

Freed from predation, purple urchins razed vast swaths of kelp unchecked.

— Tatjana Baleta, Time, 28 May 2026
Cala Gaetano is the most breathtaking of all, both in awe and anxiety, where slippery steps without any barriers bring you to a secluded cove speckled with urchins.

— Kristina Kasparian, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2026

Definition of urchins

Noun

Of all the former rascals, Symoné has enjoyed the longest and most successful career in entertainment.

— Andrew Walsh, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
In the years since 2004’s Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, Penn’s carved out a niche embodying big-talking, attention-grabbing rascals who say inappropriate things, then shrug their way through the consequences.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026

Definition of rascals

Verb

In another nod to Scream, Cheri Oteri parodies Courteney Cox’s Gale Weathers as the comically unethical news anchor Gail Hailstorm.

— Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 27 June 2026
Ben Hania’s film before that, 2020’s Oscar-nominated The Man Who Sold His Skin, parodies the art world’s fetishization of refugees.

— Alexander Durie, Time, 3 Mar. 2026

Definition of parodies

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“Monkeys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkeys. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of monkeys

noun

verb

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