1
as in hijinks
usually monkeyshines plural
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
hockey players who are known for their monkeyshines on and off the ice
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in trick
usually monkeyshines plural
a playful or mischievous act intended as a joke
on the alert for paleontological monkeyshines ever since the unmasking of Piltdown man
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for monkeyshine
Noun
-
Rea allowed one run over 5 1/3 innings, improving to 4-0 with another no-flash performance that did the trick.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
19 May 2025 -
Label tricks, regional cues and color considerations for better picking at the wine shop.—
Rachel King,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2025
Noun
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Certainly, an irreverent portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte is warranted, but at two and a half hours of alternating brutality and buffoonery, this movie really tries one’s patience.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
9 Mar. 2024
-
His is a sort of erudite buffoonery that consistently tap-dances between clever, self-aware, and patently stupid.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Salty and tangy on the palate, it’s meant to complement seafood with lots of lemon and capers.—
Laura Ness,
Mercury News,
13 May 2025
-
Soderbergh’s elegant, sophisticated spy caper Black Bag, released a few months later, cost quite a bit more (roughly $50 million) and didn’t make its money back at the box office—but that’s no reflection on its quality.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
7 May 2025
Noun
-
The action anime feature for everyone who couldn’t get enough of the horseplay in The Two Towers has finally cantered onto Max.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
1 Mar. 2025
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Mike Vrabel’s back And the horseplay is going to stop, apparently.—
Josh Kendall,
The Athletic,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Jimmy Kimmel isn't fond of the Manning brothers' musical escapades.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
14 May 2025
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In recent years, her globe-trotting escapades had taken her to Los Angeles, Chicago, Paris, Amsterdam and beyond.—
Victor Luckerson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
13 May 2025
Noun
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The brand’s monkey business button-up collared shirt was worn by Blackpink’s Lisa in one of the opening scenes of the premiere episode.—
Julia Teti,
WWD,
19 Feb. 2025
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No side bets with them or other monkey business!—
Brady Dale,
Axios,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The doctors, nurses, administrators and soldiers found a way to invoke humor through practical jokes to make their mission abroad bearable.—
Rachel Flynn,
People.com,
10 May 2025
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Shilo often posts videos to YouTube of himself impersonating Sanders or playing practical jokes on his dad.—
Lynsey Eidell,
People.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Tirhakah Love is a senior writer at New York Magazine and the host of the new evening newsletter Dinner Party, a daily email that touches on all things entertainment — that means film, television, music, tech, and gaming — plus politics and corporate clownery.—
Vulture,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2022
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The Winx Club live action is a big clownery!—
Olivia Truffaut-Wong,
refinery29.com,
25 Jan. 2021
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Cite this Entry
“Monkeyshine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkeyshine. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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