as in mischievous
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness
told the prankish lad that someone would eventually get hurt if he kept it up
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Recent Examples of prankish
And then there’s Whitehead’s own work: erudite, prankish, experimental in a literal sense—the act of listening is sometimes the experiment.
—
Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
And within the prankish world created by the production, not everyone was in on the joke.
—David Renard, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Fuchs put a prankish spin on the descending octaves that tootle above the reprise of the symphony’s solemn opening.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
While Gandhi begins his pursuit with a largely prankish approach, his film (and the gimmick anchoring it) surprisingly illuminates what some people gain from becoming part of a communal family.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 31 July 2024
The movie alternates between prankish laughs and visual poetry.
—Amy Nicholson, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
And within the prankish world created by the production, not everyone was in on the joke.
—David Renard, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Fuchs put a prankish spin on the descending octaves that tootle above the reprise of the symphony’s solemn opening.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
While Gandhi begins his pursuit with a largely prankish approach, his film (and the gimmick anchoring it) surprisingly illuminates what some people gain from becoming part of a communal family.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 31 July 2024
The movie alternates between prankish laughs and visual poetry.
—Amy Nicholson, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prankish
Adjective
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Your 5th House of Discovery brightens as mischievous Mercury conjoins the life-giving Sun.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 2026
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But of course, the mischievous Cat in the Hat can only save the day in typical Seussian fashion.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Her taste for wicked, wildly inventive terror continues to make the increasingly beloved festival’s bite-sized offerings one of its most reliable highlights.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
11 Mar. 2026
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In the first film, Cynthia Erivo’s not-so-wicked witch Elphaba has the more interesting character arc.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The fun of this salad is the playful textures of super-crispy rice made from day-old leftovers.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 Mar. 2026
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No doubt that playful warmth played a part in him being cast as Luffy, a hilariously nonchalant, yet utterly sincere would-be pirate.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prankish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prankish. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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