1
as in buffoonery
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
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 monkeyshines
Noun
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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 -
Receivers have cratered seasons with me-over-we buffoonery.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Artists and couturiers are fond of the whimsy of trompe l’oeil, the trick of the eye, the illusion of reality.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
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Cohesion is the trick, and color does most of the work.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
19 June 2026
Noun
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The project has been plagued by technical issues, supplier disputes, and alleged tomfoolery—empty mini tequila bottles were reportedly discovered on one of the airplanes under construction.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
12 June 2026
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The latest tomfoolery consisted of a posting on Twitter/X last week that provided a picture of a genuine Monet painting, and the picture was labeled as supposedly being AI-generated.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Noun
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In place of this slice of Americana is the cartoony Mickey Avenue which is themed to classic capers featuring Disney's mascot.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
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The film that inspired everything from True Romance (1993) to Queen & Slim (2019), this Arthur Penn caper follows Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty) and Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway) as criminal lovers destined for tragedy.—
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
Noun
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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
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Once, before the stabbing, Malik chased Yahkeim with a knife during horseplay.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
5 May 2026
Noun
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While the two keep drinking and wait for a rare lunar event, old grievances, outrageous escapades, and macho rivalries explode to the surface.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
18 June 2026
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Originally released across platforms like the original PlayStation, Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance, the titles follow Tommy Pickles and the rest of the gang on adventures ranging from puzzle-solving missions to globe-trotting escapades.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The clowning might be a little too effortful.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
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As the race unfolds in real time, there’s clowning, collisions, sabotage, surprises, comedy, chaos and more.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Ozzy knew his antics would stick with fans after his passing.—
Michelle Lee,
PEOPLE,
17 June 2026
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Little brother Louis was back with his playful antics, making silly faces at Buckingham Palace and sharing a laugh with Kate during the carriage ride.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
17 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Monkeyshines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkeyshines. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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