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
Jokes and pranks and magic tricks.
—
Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
The festival is rooted in the story of Lord Krishna, the reincarnation of Lord Vishnu, who is said to have played pranks by splashing maids with water and colors.
—Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 2 June 2026
It is rooted in the story of Lord Krishna, a reincarnation of Lord Vishnu, who played pranks splashing maids with water and colors.
—Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026
The Timberwolves were up 2-1 against their bitter rivals, and there was DiVincenzo, playing pranks and laughing devilishly.
—Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Shortly after midnight on May 25, prosecutors said the same group of teens were driving around San Mateo pulling pranks on classmates from Hillsdale High School.
—Tim Fang, CBS News, 14 May 2026
This send-off mixes new stunts with archival footage, promising the usual outlandish pranks and blunt-force impacts to sensitive bodily regions.
—Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
The boys, who at the time were 16 and 17 years old, had been driving around San Mateo after midnight to play pranks on their classmates, stopping at Miceli’s house on the 1000 block of Annapolis Drive, prosecutors said.
—Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 13 May 2026
And compared to some of Fleury’s past pranks on teammates, a few misplaced letters on a nameplate would be relatively light.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 15 Apr. 2026
Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
The festival is rooted in the story of Lord Krishna, the reincarnation of Lord Vishnu, who is said to have played pranks by splashing maids with water and colors.
—Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 2 June 2026
It is rooted in the story of Lord Krishna, a reincarnation of Lord Vishnu, who played pranks splashing maids with water and colors.
—Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026
The Timberwolves were up 2-1 against their bitter rivals, and there was DiVincenzo, playing pranks and laughing devilishly.
—Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Shortly after midnight on May 25, prosecutors said the same group of teens were driving around San Mateo pulling pranks on classmates from Hillsdale High School.
—Tim Fang, CBS News, 14 May 2026
This send-off mixes new stunts with archival footage, promising the usual outlandish pranks and blunt-force impacts to sensitive bodily regions.
—Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
The boys, who at the time were 16 and 17 years old, had been driving around San Mateo after midnight to play pranks on their classmates, stopping at Miceli’s house on the 1000 block of Annapolis Drive, prosecutors said.
—Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 13 May 2026
And compared to some of Fleury’s past pranks on teammates, a few misplaced letters on a nameplate would be relatively light.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 15 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pranks
Noun
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Pink started things literally inverted, with one of her famous aerial tricks to begin her opening number.—
Alex Apatoff,
PEOPLE,
8 June 2026
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Here are four tricks for keeping your parked car cooler during the summer.—
Molly Burford,
Southern Living,
8 June 2026
Noun
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As more travelers ditch tourist traps in favor of authentic experiences, craft markets have become one of the most rewarding ways to see the real side of a destination — and bring home a souvenir that actually means something.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2026
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The customer then lays down on the bed and first experiences a dry scalp massage and a massage of their neck and upper shoulders while settling in.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
29 May 2026
Noun
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The 2026 contestants' Instagram and TikTok profiles are frozen in time, showcasing their final adventures and accomplishments (like Kenzie Annis graduating from nursing school) before they were sequestered in May, prior to their debuts in the Fijian villa.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
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The wear and tear of his adventures left him with a bald spot under his cowboy hat.—
Marc Malkin,
Variety,
10 June 2026
Noun
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All of their antics are available 24/7 with the FOBBV live cam.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
4 June 2026
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There will be villa antics as cast members couple up, break up and, sometimes, leave the show after stirring up controversy.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
3 June 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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But the actors are reduced to joke machines trapped in a nonsensical nonplot, and while some of those gags yield laughs, a far greater number fall flat.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
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Jokes, gags, set pieces, and even whole characters and storylines slowly get chiseled down and weeded out through development, production, and post-production.—
Entertainment Weekly,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 June 2026
Noun
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The Trojans, who’ve lost four of their last five games, must beat Lamar University on Saturday to keep their season alive.—
Jose de Jesus Ortiz,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
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Pending the rest of the weekend’s games, Summit FC stands in eighth place in the NWSL ahead of a 35-day break.—
Braidon Nourse,
Denver Post,
30 May 2026
Noun
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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
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Add mushrooms and capers; reduce heat to medium-low to heat it back up.—
Judy Bart Kancigor,
Oc Register,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pranks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pranks. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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