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 company, which sells hot and iced coffee, tea, shakes, as well as burritos and tacos, also hosts classes to teach dogs tricks.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025 -
Dimbleby’s age, far from a liability, feels like a magic trick—rare is the podcast host in 2025 who can casually weave socioeconomics together with personal memories of the Second World War.—
Sarah Larson,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
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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
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There is, in fact, real stagecraft along with the buffoonery.—
Susan B. Glasser,
The New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Vine leaves were stuffed with grouper cheeks, roasted apricots, and caper leaves.—
Rachel Howard,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Apr. 2025
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This movie isn’t just some cheeky caper, some pessimistic mess about pulling one over grandma.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
12 Apr. 2025
Noun
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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
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Mike Vrabel’s back And the horseplay is going to stop, apparently.—
Josh Kendall,
The Athletic,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Summer promises more educational escapades, with stops in Scandinavia and then north into the Arctic, exploring Spitsbergen, Iceland, and Greenland, before Maverick heads south along the East Coast of the U.S. to the Bahamas for the winter.—
Katia Damborsky,
Robb Report,
20 Apr. 2025
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Whereas other música Mexicana acts have built massive audiences by singing about their more bellicose escapades, Cornejo has made a name for himself by focusing on matters of the heart.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 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
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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
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Editor’s picks Looked at in the context of Lynch’s larger career — among the most remarkable in film history, but also among the most idiosyncratic — such wide-sweeping popularity almost feels like a practical joke by the universe on David Lynch, or perhaps vice versa.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
16 Jan. 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 3 May. 2025.
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