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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Clean sheets appeared on the bed as if by magic, a trick many high-end hotels have forgotten.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025 -
The brand recommends laying the topper flat to expand for several hours after removing it from the packaging, but shoppers note that fluffing it in the dryer before use also does the trick.—
Maggie Horton,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Stewart’s switch from his usual snark to imitate Colbert’s buffoonery proved how spiteful and irreligious political humor has become since the left’s worship of Barack Obama and subsequent persecution of President Trump.—
Armond White,
National Review,
25 July 2025
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The other person who spoke in South Carolina, Tim Walz, is a special mixture of extreme buffoonery and a mean spirit, which is a toxic brew.—
Jenny Goldsberry,
The Washington Examiner,
1 June 2025
Noun
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Well, Statham does just that in Snatch, Guy Ritchie's ultra-British crime caper, filled with an array of colorful gangsters and an overall vibe that feels a lot like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, only with a little more wattage.—
Elliott Smith,
EW.com,
26 July 2025
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The caper, involving the theft of a rocket ship from a tech billionaire (Colin Jost) bearing no small resemblance to a certain chainsaw-wielding real-life figure, is silly enough to justify the film’s use of the term MacGuffinite as one of its principal elements.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
24 July 2025
Noun
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That indicates either a profound lack of creativity or intense postproduction tomfoolery.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
30 May 2025
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Your first thought would be that certainly the LLM won’t fall for this kind of tomfoolery.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Noun
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Both fragrances are companions for discovery, adapting to the diverse rhythms of a European city-hopping escapade.—
Shivani Vora,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
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American Dad! is back on FOX and heading into their 20th season of outlandish plots, covert ops and alien escapades.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
8 July 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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But Maddux and three teammates — Jody Davis, Les Lancaster and Al Nipper — got off scot-free for their tarp-sliding antics, until general manager Jim Frey fined them each $500.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Aug. 2025
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The weekly antics involved Jeannie, a 2,000-year-old spirit in corporeal (and blonde!) form, who is freed from her bottle by an errant NASA astronaut played by Larry Hagman.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Teaching them were a crew of MLB umpiring officials with more than 300 years of professional experience between them, including 16 World Series.—
Becky Sullivan,
NPR,
13 Aug. 2025
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The installation features 11 projects blending art and science into interactive experiences focused on scientific ocean exploration.—
La Jolla Light,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Monkeyshines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkeyshines. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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