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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The only trick now is for the league to get a team to the final Monday night of the season and actually cut down the nets.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
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Eating a balanced diet should do the trick for the majority.—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The Jazz are 15-35, which puts them at the sixth pick if zero lottery-ball tomfoolery happens.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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But enough of all that tomfoolery, because there is one person on the beach who knows exactly what is about to happen!—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The three-course experience begins with starter options like za’atar focaccia with chile-olive tapenade, piquillo tahini fip with crudité and pita, and smoked salmon carpaccio with caper relish and everything-bagel gremolata.—
Imelda García,
Dallas Morning News,
20 Mar. 2026
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Trattoria ZaZa specializes in Roman-style pizza al taglio, hearty rectangles accented by everything from bacon to capers.—
Bob Carlton,
Southern Living,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Those dousings also prompted outrage from police leaders — who decried it as an inexcusable sign of disrespect, and even suggested that officers willing to walk away from that kind of horseplay should consider another line of work.—
Anthony Izaguirre,
Fortune,
26 Feb. 2026
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Yet this is truly an ensemble show, in which each performer has multiple opportunities to shine, executing some splendidly silly bits together, such as delivering CPR to a sandwich or convincingly channeling their inner tots during some post-bedtime horseplay.—
Rob Hubbard,
Twin Cities,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Aqua Expeditions Specializing in lavish small‑ship voyages to some of the planet’s most pristine and remote waters, Aqua Expeditions’ newest vessel, Aqua Lares, is a 77‑meter expedition superyacht designed for adventurous travelers who crave a high dose of comfort with their outdoor escapades.—
Elycia Rubin,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Mar. 2026
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The show is also virtually devoid of romantic escapades, a good thing since Dumas’ novel is filled with a lot of sentimental claptrap about fighting for defenseless women’s honor or seducing virtuous maidens or going to war due to the physical beauty of a monarch.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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As in past years, the festival will feature independent artists and companies presenting new and experimental theater, dance, clowning, music and more.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
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Yes, this is the modern clowning that all the thinkpieces are thinking about.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The family is now left with memories of Barbara's smile and her famous tamales, and Aron's playful antics and artwork.—
Amelia Mugavero,
CBS News,
23 Mar. 2026
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The three titular Debras (Sandy Honig, Mitra Jouhari, and Alyssa Stonoha) live in the fake town of Lemoncurd, where their antics are absorbed into a larger background of silly madness.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Monkeyshines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkeyshines. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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