monkeyshines

noun

plural of monkeyshine
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
  1. buffoonery
  2. trick
  3. tomfoolery
  4. caper
  5. horseplay
  6. escapade
  7. clowning
  8. antic
Noun
  • Without Roberts in charge, expect the political and racial buffoonery to creep back into the conversation at ESPN.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 Apr. 2026
  • 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
Definition of buffoonery
Noun
  • The trick is to raise it anyway, at every age, for whatever chapter comes next.
    — Barbara Bry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 July 2026
  • When Not To Use It As clever as this trick is, experts caution against trying to stretch it beyond its intended purpose.
    — Alesandra Dubin, Southern Living, 25 July 2026
Definition of trick
Noun
  • This is the first sign of the kind of tomfoolery Luke has in store for the night.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of tomfoolery
Noun
  • Chickpeas, green beans, onions, capers, and a simple homemade vinaigrette come together in a side dish that’s both fresh and filling.
    — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 23 July 2026
  • The intricacy with which Whitehead details the planning and execution of this caper marks him as a top-tier researcher — he’s drawn on many primary sources to ground this work of fiction in historical fact.
    — Leigh Haber, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of caper
Noun
  • When horseplay turns into an impromptu hookup, neither of the young men fight the urge.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of horseplay
Noun
  • Meanwhile, Melissa Sondhi as her maid Lisette and Alex Taite as the poet Prunier have a little romantic escapade of their own going on.
    — Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 16 July 2026
  • In the Wizard of Oz-like escapade, Kansas hairdresser Gail (Zoey Deutch) walks in on her fiancé (Michael Cassidy) having sex with Jennifer Aniston (as herself), who’s in town for a cookbook reading.
    — Eric Andersson, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026
Definition of escapade
Noun
  • The clowning might be a little too effortful.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
  • 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
Definition of clowning
Noun
  • Before her antics with Sheinelle, Leslie explained that the new series was filmed very much in the moment.
    — Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026
  • Later, another nerdy boy will fall prey to their antics, yet there’s no gruesome violence on sight, only a melancholic and ethereal exorcizing of the demons that plague Emily’s heart.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 20 July 2026
Definition of antic
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

monkeyshine
monkeyshines
monkeys (with)
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Cite this Entry

“Monkeyshines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkeyshines. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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