1
as in mischief
usually shenanigans plural
playful, reckless behavior that is not intended to cause serious harm
students engaging in youthful shenanigans on the last day of school
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hijinks
usually shenanigans plural
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
an act of vandalism that went way beyond the usual shenanigans at summer camp
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in ruse
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
the street-corner huckster of pirated DVDs had all sorts of shenanigans to keep the cops off of his tail
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shenanigan
The contrast makes an American happy: on the one side, tradition, serious public performance, luxury; on the other, émigré teachers, amateur musicales and family shenanigans, casual summers in the modest countryside.
—
David Denby, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2025
The constant recognition of so many people, places, and events contributes to a giddy sense of being there, in the board room where the next blockbuster happens, which bolsters the comic shenanigans captured with unwavering urgency.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 Mar. 2025
Released from captivity in the opening scene, Willie goes on a murderous rampage over the rest of the film, dancing and snickering after each of his shenanigans.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 3 Apr. 2025
Maybe our statewide paper should cover in depth more of these shenanigans.
—arkansasonline.com, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shenanigan
David Denby, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2025
The constant recognition of so many people, places, and events contributes to a giddy sense of being there, in the board room where the next blockbuster happens, which bolsters the comic shenanigans captured with unwavering urgency.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 Mar. 2025
Released from captivity in the opening scene, Willie goes on a murderous rampage over the rest of the film, dancing and snickering after each of his shenanigans.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 3 Apr. 2025
Maybe our statewide paper should cover in depth more of these shenanigans.
—arkansasonline.com, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shenanigan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shenanigan
Noun
-
She’s been charged with home invasion burglary, two counts of assault, two counts of criminal mischief, terroristic threats and resisting arrest.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2025
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He was arrested and charged with grand theft of construction equipment, criminal mischief over $1,000 and burglary of a structure with property damage, police said.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Vulture Parent Puppet The puppet ruse is designed to prevent the baby from imprinting on humans.—
Amanda Kooser,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
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Those ruses have spurred restrictive voting laws across the country, despite the failure over the years of anybody finding fraud happening beyond small and rare instances — and certainly not at the scale of deciding major elections.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Becciu's departure, amid an ongoing legal battle over financial misconduct charges, adds another layer of drama to a conclave already marked by theological and political tensions within the Catholic Church.—
Dan Cody,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 May 2025
-
His office, which is independent of the 8,700-officer department, monitors misconduct complaints and conducts internal reviews of police shootings, along with audits and studies at the Police Commission’s request.—
Libor Jany,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The project looks at the 1980s rise and fall of Joe Hunt and young and wealthy men who made up an exclusive investment group who descended into a fraud scheme that led to murder.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
1 May 2025
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The fraud scheme The murder was part of a broader financial fraud scheme.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
1 May 2025
Noun
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Another aspect to note is that the AI didn’t ridicule me or otherwise play any tomfoolery about my need for assistance.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
-
Another aspect to note is that the AI didn’t ridicule me or otherwise play any tomfoolery about my worries.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
9 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The company, which sells hot and iced coffee, tea, shakes, as well as burritos and tacos, also hosts classes to teach dogs tricks.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
-
Another simple trick to avoid seeming evasive: Answer questions with yes or no, first; get into the explanation afterwards.—
Rob Davis,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
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His is a sort of erudite buffoonery that consistently tap-dances between clever, self-aware, and patently stupid.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2025
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There is, in fact, real stagecraft along with the buffoonery.—
Susan B. Glasser,
The New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The action anime feature for everyone who couldn’t get enough of the horseplay in The Two Towers has finally cantered onto Max.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
1 Mar. 2025
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Mike Vrabel’s back And the horseplay is going to stop, apparently.—
Josh Kendall,
The Athletic,
11 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shenanigan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shenanigan. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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