as in tricks
a playful or mischievous act intended as a joke
as a prank, several students managed to change all the classroom clocks to different times
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Recent Examples of pranks
Originally from Strasbourg, near the German border, the French creator rose to fame on lip syncs and pranks, hopping from Instagram to YouTube to TikTok.
—
Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 19 Feb. 2026
Like anything, our pranks revolved around the zeitgeist of the time.
—Arkansas Online, 17 Feb. 2026
Years of insults and diss tracks and pranks and social media posts have followed, with small islands of peace floating by from time to time.
—Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Reba McEntire is a survivor — of six years of pranks!
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Jan. 2026
This is an utterly throwaway slice of college comedy, rather more concerned with sports, pranks, and teen/20-something romance than getting lost on the final frontier.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Authorities have cited social media in the trend, with videos of the pranks circulating on TikTok and other platforms.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 17 Jan. 2026
And, of course, boarding schools themselves can be immensely silly, dominated by boys’ pranks, rebellions, and mishaps.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
In some cases, the teens hurled objects at other vehicles and posted videos of their pranks on social media.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 14 Jan. 2026
Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 19 Feb. 2026
Like anything, our pranks revolved around the zeitgeist of the time.
—Arkansas Online, 17 Feb. 2026
Years of insults and diss tracks and pranks and social media posts have followed, with small islands of peace floating by from time to time.
—Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Reba McEntire is a survivor — of six years of pranks!
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Jan. 2026
This is an utterly throwaway slice of college comedy, rather more concerned with sports, pranks, and teen/20-something romance than getting lost on the final frontier.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Authorities have cited social media in the trend, with videos of the pranks circulating on TikTok and other platforms.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 17 Jan. 2026
And, of course, boarding schools themselves can be immensely silly, dominated by boys’ pranks, rebellions, and mishaps.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
In some cases, the teens hurled objects at other vehicles and posted videos of their pranks on social media.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pranks
Noun
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In chats among Kalshi traders on the online forum Discord, some show their reluctance to reveal their trading tricks by misdirecting.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
17 Feb. 2026
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Coleman was known for her daring stunt tricks in the air.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Eating on the London Underground is usually frowned upon, but one of the city’s most unusual dining experiences lies at the northern end of the Victoria tube line inside a decommissioned train carriage.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
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These projects highlight the strength of our franchises and our ambition to expand Ubisoft stories across multiple platforms, giving fans and broader audiences amazing immersive experiences.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Set outside of Carson City, Nevada, during the 1860s on a fictional ranch called Ponderosa, the show followed the adventures and tribulations of the Cartwright family.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Named after the 19th-Century Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister Viscount Palmerston, the cat quickly garnered a large online fanbase, boasting nearly 100,000 followers as of Tuesday who closely tracked his adventures across Westminster.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The play follows the antics of the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society, whose members are trying to stage a production of a 1920s murder mystery while props go missing, actors forget lines and the cast starts to crack under the pressure.—
Anne Gelhaus,
Mercury News,
15 Feb. 2026
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Unfolding in 1870s Oxford and venturing abroad, the series will expose the early antics of the anarchic adolescent who is yet to evolve into Baker Street’s most renowned resident.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Weir was always eager to share anecdotes about Garcia and their escapades.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
17 Feb. 2026
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Forget the red Porsches, promiscuous escapades, and questionable clothing choices.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The director cleverly dishes out these double meanings from start to finish, fusing the parental experience with tons of gore, hysteria, visual gags and occasional jump scares.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
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Running gags include Moses’ age, certain players’ penchant for forgetfulness and star receiver Stefon Diggs’ proclivity for procreation.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Here's what to know about getting your hands on the games.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
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For just the 11th time in 55 games this season, the Lakers had Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves sharing the court together.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Here, an easy sauce of olive oil, lemon juice, fresh rosemary, capers, and garlic saturates whole small red potatoes and crispy chicken thighs and legs in flavor.—
Betsy Cribb Watson,
Southern Living,
16 Feb. 2026
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Eggplant appears with linguine, tomato and almond pesto, or nestled with capers and golden raisins between ribbons of mafaldine.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pranks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pranks. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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