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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And are there any tips and tricks for planning and executing the perfect anti-aging trip?—
Alessandra Signorelli,
Vogue,
29 May 2026
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Since Hathaway's viral video, people have posted themselves doing her trick, sometimes to shocking results.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Noun
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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
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Warm temperatures should keep the snow from causing too much traffic tomfoolery on Tuesday, but by the evening, roads are likely to turn slick, Danielson said.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
4 May 2026
Noun
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In fact, caper bushes prefer to be watered very sparingly.—
Tessa Cooper,
The Spruce,
6 June 2026
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Wild king salmon topped with tomatoes, olives and capers was accessorized with a puff pastry in the shape of a cartoon fish.—
Julissa James,
Los Angeles Times,
2 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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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
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New escapades come and go, but the structure of their life stays the same — the two of them, moving together.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
12 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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For Jenny Voisard, watching the daily antics of a bald eagle family perched above the shimmering waters of Big Bear Lake in Southern California is about togetherness as much as birdwatching.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
11 June 2026
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Through all the antics and all that stuff that people see, 50 is smart.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
10 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Monkeyshines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkeyshines. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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