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
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The fast food giant announced the return of the classic Halloween item, which makes the perfect vessel for storing candy that is picked up while making the rounds of trick-or-treating.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
7 Oct. 2025 -
Basically, a kid goes out trick-or-treating on Halloween.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Their relationship, tentative, intimate, and defiant, lingers long after the satirical skewering of male buffoonery has faded.—
Leila Latif,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
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He’s been tinkering with this messaging on and off since damn near the start of the century, when his criticism of the genre shifted from the power-holding executives (both white and Black) of the music industry who were profiting off buffoonery, a la Bamboozled, to rap music itself.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Luckily, clever Frances must have understood her caper was destined for failure.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
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By emphasizing the caper aspect and the goofy comedy of all this over the intricate plotting that is a hallmark of Westlake’s novels, Black lowers the stakes of a heist that involves halting a speeding NY subway refuse train and busting into a supposedly impenetrable Brooklyn vault.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Butch Baker, who was Henry County sheriff until 2014, recalled an incident in which Bertram was accused of inappropriate horseplay at the community corrections office.—
Tony Cook,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
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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
Noun
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Neeson’s serious demeanor juxtaposed with the playful density and bizarre escapades of his crime fighting character make for a uproarious comedy, true to the Zucker Brothers’ original tone.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
29 Sep. 2025
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The escapades of the very hot bi/pansexuals Gael (Tommy Martinez) and Malika (Zuri Adele), who is also polyamorous, really keep the lifeblood of the show circulating.—
Catherine Mhloyi,
Them.,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park has some monkey business going on: updates to its primate and other animal habitats, educational buildings and pathways.—
Lillian Ashworth,
Oc Register,
18 July 2025
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Do a direct export from the original system—no monkey business.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 July 2025
Noun
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With over 300 episodes to shoot, there was time for some practical jokes.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Sep. 2025
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This is all some practical joke that’s being played on me.—
Michael Nied,
People.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
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As for Abdul-Mateen, the clownery will resume for him on Broadway.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2022
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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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Cite this Entry
“Monkeyshine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkeyshine. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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