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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With a little encouragement, and after a bit of sake, Isa Briones will pull out her party trick at karaoke.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
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The trick is to hydrate earlier in the day and cut fluids at least an hour before bed, to make sure you’re not woken up by multiple trips to the bathroom.—
Allison Palmer,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Apr. 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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Add the cucumber, green pepper, red onion, and capers.—
Kelly McCarthy,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
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Magician Andi Gladwin leads an unlikely team of illusionists on an international caper to track down the culprits.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The precisely choreographed horseplay in the first act of his Nutcracker is physical comedy at its best.—
Manuel Mendoza,
Dallas Morning News,
30 Mar. 2026
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More horseplay: Saturday brings the 75th running of the Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, a chance to watch horses that will soon run in the Kentucky Derby, but also an excuse for locals to dress up with outfits topped by a hat or fascinator.—
Ben Crandell,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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The Litles detailed in the complaint and in an interview with the Tribune how their frisky escapades, appearance and young children seemed to increasingly agitate residents and staff.—
Rebecca Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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Comedy and clowning are ways Zaalan has connected with their homeland after the Syrian revolution.—
Candace Hansen,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Just before Tokischa’s new sun rose, the built-for-kitipo singles and onstage antics continued, but something was changing.—
E.R. Pulgar,
Pitchfork,
16 Apr. 2026
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The exorbitant cost of the trip and her entourage’s hard-partying antics would put the kibosh on any future US tours for Margaret.—
Hadley Hall Meares,
Vanity Fair,
15 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Monkeyshines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkeyshines. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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