1
as in monkeys
an appealingly mischievous person
you little rascal, I saw you snitching some hors d'oeuvres even though our guests haven't even arrived yet
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in villains
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person
some cold-blooded rascal had set the barn afire
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of rascals
In the years since 2004’s Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, Penn’s carved out a niche embodying big-talking, attention-grabbing rascals who say inappropriate things, then shrug their way through the consequences.
—
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
In a time when unemployment is on the rise and the rich are running amok and wreaking havoc on the poor — and the social services in place to support them — who doesn’t love the idea of rogue rascals sticking it to a bougie institution by running off with its crown jewels?
—Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Refinery29, 12 Nov. 2025
The former child actors have grown up since their go-kart derby days on-screen — some have even welcomed their own little rascals off-screen.
—Keith Langston, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
In a time when unemployment is on the rise and the rich are running amok and wreaking havoc on the poor — and the social services in place to support them — who doesn’t love the idea of rogue rascals sticking it to a bougie institution by running off with its crown jewels?
—Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Refinery29, 12 Nov. 2025
The former child actors have grown up since their go-kart derby days on-screen — some have even welcomed their own little rascals off-screen.
—Keith Langston, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rascals
Noun
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However, several types of bacteria were more abundant in the monkeys who did not bathe.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Some players like paper-thin picks and others prefer chunky monkeys.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
19 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Picking winners and losers, heroes and villains, pathways to success and failure, generates excitement for an event and manufactures a sense of urgency for maximal viewing pleasure.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
28 Jan. 2026
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As the country moves toward the 2026 midterms, the temptation will be to treat our current racial, political, and economic crisis as a sharp break from the past; to search for singular villains; and to imagine that a return to normalcy is just one election away.—
Heather Ann Thompson,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
There are sounds and shadows in the forest; the Devil, or devils, may be walking the earth.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
23 Jan. 2026
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And then there are the infernal workers who make sure that Lucifer’s realm runs smoothly, among them farting devils, giants in chains, and a flying monster with the body of a serpent and the face of an honest man.—
Eric Bulson,
The Atlantic,
2 Jan. 2026
Noun
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For much of his career, Skarsgård has gravitated toward characters who weaponize physical presence — Vikings, tech titans and mythic brutes whose power is immediately legible.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
9 Jan. 2026
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Credit to producers Tim Zinnemann and George Linder for selecting a veritable array of brutes to wage battle with Arnold.—
Duane Byrge,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Immigration and Integration Minister Rasmus Stoklund said 315 foreign criminals from countries outside the European Union had received sentences of more than a year over the last five years but were not expelled.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
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Top police brass nationwide rarely criticize their federal partners, relying on collaboration to investigate gangs, extremist groups and other major criminals — while also counting on millions in funding from Washington each year.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Castillo said the solution requires leadership, coordination and a return to focused enforcement that prioritizes violent criminal offenders over broad street operations that escalate confrontation.—
Stepheny Price , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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In fact, reconciliation was often ill-advised, especially if offenders had not expressed remorse or commitment to any type of meaningful change.—
Richard Balkin,
The Conversation,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But beneath his plush exterior and upbeat messaging, Buddy is an insatiably needy, controlling narcissist requiring constant affirmations of the children’s love and filling their heads with terror of the monsters lurking in the outside world beyond the park in which the show takes place.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Jan. 2026
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And the monsters are truly terrifying.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Giannis, a gentleman even in this era of scoundrels, likely wants to do right by the Bucks, too.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
3 Dec. 2025
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These twin influences, religious fervor and a preoccupation with dangerous men, would go on to define the next six decades of the director’s working life, finding expression as a conviction that even scoundrels are in possession of a soul.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rascals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rascals. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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