MONKEYS (AROUND) Synonyms: 51 Similar and Opposite Words

monkeys (around)

verb

present tense third-person singular of monkey (around)

as in clowns (around)

to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior stop monkeying around in the house or you'll break something

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in fiddles (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 monkeys (around)

Verb

According to McGrady, the only royal who didn’t enjoy the time away in the Highlands was the late Princess Diana, who didn’t fit in with the family’s outdoorsy vibes and didn’t enjoy riding horses around the property due to a fall as a child.

— Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026
Ortiz navigated past 17 other horses around the final turn and made a hard charge down the stretch.

— Stephen Whyno, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 May 2026

Definition of horses around

Verb

There is no doubt the quality of players that managers have available plays a massive part in how expressive their style becomes but as ideas go, Luis Enrique’s use of his wide players last season definitely set PSG apart.

— Art de Roché, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Propulsion capacity grows The PAC-3 MSE’s propulsion system plays a critical role during an engagement.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of plays

Verb

The new congressional map in Virginia effectively cuts up the state’s 11 House districts to give Democrats an advantage in 10 of them.

— Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
How to Prune Viburnum Use sharp hand pruners for smaller cuts up to the diameter of a pencil, and loppers or a pruning saw for larger cuts.

— Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Feb. 2026

Definition of cuts up

Verb

Though the sisters are supposedly first-generation Italian American, no whiff of the old country hangs about Kay; Dorothy will at least spit out a few words in Italian.

— Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Turquoise pearl, and azure line the space, and a cylindrical hanging light sculpture made of hundreds of white and gold ceramic fish hangs about the lounge seating area.

— Kristin Braswell, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Jan. 2026

Definition of hangs about

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.

Browse Nearby Words

monkeys

monkeys (around)

monkeyshine

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Monkeys (around).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkeys%20%28around%29. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of monkeys (around)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

quorum

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes