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
Many have built followings while making content in a specific area, such as magic, pranks, art, sports, gaming, comedy or reviews.
—
Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025
As far as college pranks go, the one The Harvard Lampoon orchestrated was pricey.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2025
In the story, the Twits escalate their mischief from pranks to power plays — even running for government — and Mayor Wayne becomes the absurd foil in their rise.
—Jane Lacroix, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
The Twits is not beautiful — and that’s kind of the point, since the story is about a gross, mean, and spiteful couple who pull all sorts of nasty pranks on each other and everyone else.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 18 Oct. 2025
What started as the follow-up to D’Angelo’s 1995 platinum debut, Brown Sugar (written and recorded entirely by D’Angelo in his mother’s house in Richmond, Virginia), became five years of study at Soul University, complete with classes, pranks, gossip and equal amounts of discipline and laziness.
—Touré, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
Even if most such cases don’t involve nefarious intent, the pranks underscore how easily AI can potentially manipulate real people.
—Maura Murphy, NBC news, 10 Oct. 2025
These special relationships can be filled with everything from fun and joy to cruel pranks and teasing.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 9 Oct. 2025
The team performed several stunts and pranks on air, with one resulting in an $8,000 loss in advertising.
—Sophie Hanson, StyleCaster, 18 Sep. 2025
Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025
As far as college pranks go, the one The Harvard Lampoon orchestrated was pricey.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2025
In the story, the Twits escalate their mischief from pranks to power plays — even running for government — and Mayor Wayne becomes the absurd foil in their rise.
—Jane Lacroix, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
The Twits is not beautiful — and that’s kind of the point, since the story is about a gross, mean, and spiteful couple who pull all sorts of nasty pranks on each other and everyone else.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 18 Oct. 2025
What started as the follow-up to D’Angelo’s 1995 platinum debut, Brown Sugar (written and recorded entirely by D’Angelo in his mother’s house in Richmond, Virginia), became five years of study at Soul University, complete with classes, pranks, gossip and equal amounts of discipline and laziness.
—Touré, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
Even if most such cases don’t involve nefarious intent, the pranks underscore how easily AI can potentially manipulate real people.
—Maura Murphy, NBC news, 10 Oct. 2025
These special relationships can be filled with everything from fun and joy to cruel pranks and teasing.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 9 Oct. 2025
The team performed several stunts and pranks on air, with one resulting in an $8,000 loss in advertising.
—Sophie Hanson, StyleCaster, 18 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pranks
Noun
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Halloween’s history, from tricks to treats Halloween is rooted in the ancient Celtic ritual of Samhain, marking the harvest and coming winter – and few know the shortcomings of the cold more than Minnesotans.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
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Critic Dwight Macdonald later wrote that Keaton’s singular screen-in-screen transformation made similar tricks by Surrealist giants Dalí, Buñuel, and Cocteau timid by comparison.—
Erik Morse,
Vogue,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Be honest and then seek out stretch experiences, reading and other ways to learn to fill those gaps.—
Vicki Salemi,
Boston Herald,
20 Oct. 2025
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This is important because everyday classroom experiences with students matter, everyday conversations with parents matter, and everyday collaborations with teachers matter.—
Talia McWright,
Twin Cities,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Veteran oilman Robert Price was regaled with stories of dogsledding and adventures in Greenland as a child from his father who served as a military weatherman there during World War II.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
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The outdoor adventures continue in summer with scenic gondola rides, hiking, mountain biking, ropes courses, and racing down the mountain on an alpine coaster.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The incident recalled the antics of Otter 841, who was photographed stealing a surfboard and even riding a wave in summer 2023.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
16 Oct. 2025
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From the beginning, something has felt off about Lisa emotionally, like she’s been more exhausted and at the end of her rope with the usual Housewives antics than we’re used to.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Schitt’s Creek made the calamitous Rose family famous, and their escapades can now be found in one place in Canada.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
20 Oct. 2025
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In Ibsen’s play, set solely in two contiguous rooms in the Tesmans’ villa, George comes home after a highly eventful night of escapades that are left unseen and merely described to Hedda.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Mel Brooks’ best comedy shares many similarities with his other revered films – a strong grip of genre beats, a non-stop barrage of gags yanking us forward, and an eagerness to give every performer a chance to comedically shine.—
Rory Doherty,
Vulture,
20 Oct. 2025
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One of the running gags of the Space Race was the unappetizing nature of the food astronauts packed for their trip to the Moon.—
David Szondy
October 19,
New Atlas,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Brock Purdy, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, Ricky Pearsall, and more have all missed multiple games due to injury.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Oct. 2025
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The Brewers, whose 97-65 record was the best in MLB this season, were inept in the series scoring five runs on 14 hits in the four games.—
Barry M. Bloom,
Sportico.com,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
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White wine, shallots, and lemon zest and juice build on what the butter and garlic get started, and a couple tablespoons of capers give the dish a zesty tang.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
15 Oct. 2025
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For martini lovers, there’s the choice between the $24 Dirtier Martini, made with Tito’s vodka and the bar’s signature dirty mix, garnished with olives and capers, or $35 Ben’s Martini, with Monkey 47 gin, Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth and lemon oil, served with a side of chips.—
Ryma Chikhoune,
Footwear News,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pranks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pranks. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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