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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So is a certain pride in what one is able to get away with, the thrill of learning new tricks and showing them off.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025 -
The trick, according to Brooks, is to think like an entrepreneur and treat your life like a startup.—
Tom Huddleston Jr.,
CNBC,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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Economy passengers can expect free meals featuring options like chicken with Japanese curry or a fish fillet with a herb-caper cream sauce, along with a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Sep. 2025
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Under Zlotowski’s guidance, A Private Life caroms from sexy romantic comedy to Hitchcockian mystery to zany amateur-sleuth caper, with Freudian psychology always lurking beneath.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Be careful and look out for more of your mom's tomfoolery.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
25 Aug. 2025
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For instance, in between Avi’s 2004 plane ride that starts the episode’s main arc and its last-second flash-forward to 2022, the premiere revels in the rapid wordplay of a gentile girlfriend meeting a vibrant Jewish family and the general tomfoolery of a jubilant bar mitzvah.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
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As the story follows Edwards' escapades in Frankfurt, Geneva, Vienna, Budapest and Munich, Kitsch gives Pratt a partial breather.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
28 Aug. 2025
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Living together at the Carlton Arms Hotel in New York City, the father-daughter duo navigated life, love, and plenty of mischief — with most plots, much like I Love Lucy, centered on Margie’s spirited escapades.—
Marc Berman,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 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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At the same time that show-goers will be recording catwalk antics on their iPhones, the Met will open an exhibition dedicated to an artist often linked to the Surrealists.—
Vogue Runway,
Vogue,
4 Sep. 2025
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But the cringe-comedy antics of the original NBC series landed far better in Season 3 than in Season 1, once audiences began to truly love the characters instead of just gawking at them.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
3 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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Cite this Entry
“Monkeyshines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkeyshines. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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