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
Noun
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Death by Lightning, adapted by Mike Makowsky from Candice Millard’s 2011 nonfiction book and directed by Matt Ross, hums with the strength of these performances, particularly Shannon’s quiet composure and Macfadyen mining new depths of buffoonery.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025 -
North Coast Rep will present a show Dec. 11-Dec. 14 with bubbling energy and comedic buffoonery in the British Pantomime version of The Adventures of Robin Hood as its next student production.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Nov. 2025
Noun
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But there are tricks to blending in.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
28 Feb. 2026
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Méliès, a prominent French stage magician who turned to filmmaking after seeing the Lumière brothers in Paris in 1895, pioneered theatrical tricks such as double exposure, black screens and forced perspective.—
Eric Henderson,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Those dousings also prompted outrage from police leaders — who decried it as an inexcusable sign of disrespect, and even suggested that officers willing to walk away from that kind of horseplay should consider another line of work.—
Anthony Izaguirre,
Fortune,
26 Feb. 2026
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Yet this is truly an ensemble show, in which each performer has multiple opportunities to shine, executing some splendidly silly bits together, such as delivering CPR to a sandwich or convincingly channeling their inner tots during some post-bedtime horseplay.—
Rob Hubbard,
Twin Cities,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Each is topped with tartar sauce featuring olives, capers and sweet relish, plus lettuce.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Feb. 2026
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The adorable taters are filled with a mixture of potato, sour cream, capers, parsley, dill, mustard, and lemon zest.—
Mary Shannon Wells,
Southern Living,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Barnett was the second Mississippi resident to take the monkey business into their own hands.—
Bracey Harris,
NBC news,
5 Nov. 2025
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The monkey business is dominated by a handful of highly secretive and rivalrous brokers.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Was his Sam Altman gaming-PC escapade similar?—
Sam Kriss,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
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Michael said that shortly after Allocca fell, the teens with him posted videos of their near-fatal escapade to a closed Instagram group in which they could be seen fleeing the bridge with the victim’s phone.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
20 Feb. 2026
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
Noun
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As trade envoy, Andrew became known for practical jokes and off-color remarks, which British diplomats had to tolerate because of his titles.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
19 Feb. 2026
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Everything about Groundhog Day sounds like a practical joke.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
2 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Monkeyshine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkeyshine. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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