monkeyshine

noun

ˈməŋ-kē-ˌshīn How to pronounce monkeyshine (audio)
Definition of monkeyshinenext
1
as in buffoonery
usually monkeyshines plural wildly playful or mischievous behavior hockey players who are known for their monkeyshines on and off the ice

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
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
  1. buffoonery
  2. trick
  3. horseplay
  4. caper
  5. monkey business
  6. escapade
  7. clownery
  8. practical joke
Noun
  • Without Roberts in charge, expect the political and racial buffoonery to creep back into the conversation at ESPN.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 Apr. 2026
  • The show, with its interest in corporate buffoonery, doesn’t quite manage to hand-wave away the queasy implications.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
Definition of buffoonery
Noun
  • Australia responded six minutes later following a trick lineout move involving hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa throwing to scrumhalf Ryan Lonergan at the front, getting the return pass and starting the movement that finished with him scoring.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 July 2026
  • By stop-starting Gvardiol — a trick that lulls defenders into a false sense of security — and then faking to go one way and then the other, Messi found space where there seemed to be none and set up Julian Alvarez for Argentina’s third goal.
    — Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 10 July 2026
Definition of trick
Noun
  • When horseplay turns into an impromptu hookup, neither of the young men fight the urge.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2026
  • After France’s 4-3 victory against Argentina at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, horseplay between the players at the team hotel culminated in back-up centre-back Adil Rami setting off a fire extinguisher in the early hours of the morning.
    — Tom Williams, New York Times, 17 May 2026
Definition of horseplay
Noun
  • The ultimate Florida Man stars in this true-crime caper from two-time National Magazine Award laureate Pamela Colloff.
    — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026
  • In a food processor or blender, combine garlic, shallots, olive oil, parsley, dill, capers, basil, lemon zest and juice.
    — Staff, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Definition of caper
Noun
  • But this was no monkey business April Fool’s joke.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 4 June 2026
  • Barnett was the second Mississippi resident to take the monkey business into their own hands.
    — Bracey Harris, NBC news, 5 Nov. 2025
Definition of monkey business
Noun
  • Now, Pink joins Chloe and Red to face the consequences of their escapade.
    — Eleanor Jacobs, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026
  • One of the most famous escapades at Church Street took place in 1997.
    — Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 July 2026
Definition of escapade
Noun
  • Allow Yahya Abdul-Mateen II to clarify his remarks about Aquaman being the work of clowns with… some clownery.
    — Jessica Wang, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2022
  • Chronicle Books In the world of clownery, tradition has long dictated that a clown must never steal another clown’s look.
    — Constance Grady, Vox, 20 Aug. 2018
Definition of clownery
Noun
  • Sabrina the Teenage Witch, which ran from 1996 to 2003, was known for its hijinks, practical jokes and special effects, and, of course, magic.
    — Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 21 June 2026
  • Crews often found release in rowdiness, camaraderie, practical jokes, and the inevitable coping mechanisms of drink and drugs.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Definition of practical joke
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 (around)
monkeyshine
monkeyshines
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Monkeyshine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkeyshine. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

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

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All