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

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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
  1. buffoonery
  2. trick
  3. horseplay
  4. caper
  5. monkey business
  6. escapade
  7. clownery
  8. practical joke
Noun
  • Still, there's a remarkable level of buffoonery in his analysis.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 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
  • Then, use one of these simple tricks to remove leftover wax and scrub soot away with warm water, soap, and a brush when you’re done.
    — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Though the trick watch that recorded Sang-gil’s incriminating meeting with the mayor has been destroyed, Eun-sae backed up the footage.
    — Kayti Burt, Time, 7 Aug. 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
  • Try the fish a la Francaise, where the daily catch is basted in a lemon butter caper sauce and served over pasta.
    — Kelsey Glennon, Southern Living, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Elegant slices of beef get tarted up with capers, arugula, garlic confit and aioli for a refreshing carpaccio.
    — Connie Ogle July 31, Miami Herald, 31 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
  • Enter Arjona, 34, as the investigator hot on Thomas’s trail, and amid the escapades and adventure, a certain affection between the two seems to form.
    — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026
  • Meanwhile, Melissa Sondhi as her maid Lisette and Alex Taite as the poet Prunier have a little romantic escapade of their own going on.
    — Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 16 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
  • In order to make their kissing scenes even more awkward, the late Larry Hagman would play practical jokes on his Dallas costar Linda Gray.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
  • 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
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
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Cite this Entry

“Monkeyshine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkeyshine. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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