1
as in hijinks
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 most exciting feature is the realistic mask, though, which has mesh eyes for kids to see through while trick-or-treating, and an adjustable strap to fit their head properly.—
Katrina Cossey,
Parents,
1 Oct. 2025 -
Perhaps most frustrating, two Johnson attempts to dig into his trick bag misfired.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Their relationship, tentative, intimate, and defiant, lingers long after the satirical skewering of male buffoonery has faded.—
Leila Latif,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
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He’s been tinkering with this messaging on and off since damn near the start of the century, when his criticism of the genre shifted from the power-holding executives (both white and Black) of the music industry who were profiting off buffoonery, a la Bamboozled, to rap music itself.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Luckily, clever Frances must have understood her caper was destined for failure.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
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By emphasizing the caper aspect and the goofy comedy of all this over the intricate plotting that is a hallmark of Westlake’s novels, Black lowers the stakes of a heist that involves halting a speeding NY subway refuse train and busting into a supposedly impenetrable Brooklyn vault.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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During Full House, Sweetin said the child actors would often come across as more professional than their adult counterparts amid all the tomfoolery.—
Daysia Tolentino,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 Sep. 2025
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Rite of passage or midnight tomfoolery?—
Jake Allen,
IndyStar,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Neeson’s serious demeanor juxtaposed with the playful density and bizarre escapades of his crime fighting character make for a uproarious comedy, true to the Zucker Brothers’ original tone.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
29 Sep. 2025
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The escapades of the very hot bi/pansexuals Gael (Tommy Martinez) and Malika (Zuri Adele), who is also polyamorous, really keep the lifeblood of the show circulating.—
Catherine Mhloyi,
Them.,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Butch Baker, who was Henry County sheriff until 2014, recalled an incident in which Bertram was accused of inappropriate horseplay at the community corrections office.—
Tony Cook,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
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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
Noun
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In the trailer, the three men get right to their antics with a broken vase, hiding a dead body, a dynamic SWAT entry, and running in an attempt to escape.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
30 Sep. 2025
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But overall, the dachshund’s antics struck a chord with the community, highlighting the challenges and joys of raising a puppy.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Finally, after plenty of clowning, Taylor Swift has revealed that her 12th album is on the way, titled The Life of a Showgirl.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
13 Aug. 2025
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This is a work in which the slapstick clowning and the tricky verbal non sequiturs should be merely the surface for roiling undercurrents of anguish, futility, despair and fear.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
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Cite this Entry
“Monkeyshines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkeyshines. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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