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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shenanigan
Follow the money: The stock market, for one, is tiring of such shenanigans.
—
Felix Salmon, Axios, 7 Mar. 2025
The innate sweetness of the series carries it past figurative and literal rapids and into shenanigans involving bear carvings, a bear temple in the mountains, and a secret bear community.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025
One nerdy aspect to watch out for come July: Sign-and-trade shenanigans with Marvin Bagley’s $12.5 million expiring contract.
—John Hollinger, The Athletic, 12 Feb. 2025
The office, a symbolic province of the elderly, has become a particularly exciting backdrop for youthful shenanigans.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shenanigan
Felix Salmon, Axios, 7 Mar. 2025
The innate sweetness of the series carries it past figurative and literal rapids and into shenanigans involving bear carvings, a bear temple in the mountains, and a secret bear community.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025
One nerdy aspect to watch out for come July: Sign-and-trade shenanigans with Marvin Bagley’s $12.5 million expiring contract.
—John Hollinger, The Athletic, 12 Feb. 2025
The office, a symbolic province of the elderly, has become a particularly exciting backdrop for youthful shenanigans.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shenanigan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shenanigan
Noun
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As a mother of three, Kathy is positivity with a dose of mischief, and a bit of mysticism to keep things interesting.—
Donna Vickroy,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2025
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John Connaughton, 51, is facing charges of felony battery, criminal mischief and two counts of aggravated assault, according to court records.—
Chris Spargo,
People.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Richie buys Harry's ruse regarding Tommy's murder, but there's a catch.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
20 Apr. 2025
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The wedding started as an elaborate three-way ruse concocted by Wai-Tung, a gay Taiwanese American man; his white boyfriend, Simon (Mitchell Lichtenstein); and Wei-Wei, an undocumented Chinese immigrant.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Court records show he was then indicted in June 2020 for misconduct in office.—
Will Carless,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
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Nor is either party actually addressing the ballooning financial cost of local police forces in the U.S., nor the long-term reputational costs from police misconduct for trust in the police and government more broadly.—
Christopher S. Warshaw,
The Conversation,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Nearly 30 years ago California legislators faced a test of their integrity in voting for an electricity deregulation scheme that ratepayers are still paying for.—
Jamie Court,
Mercury News,
19 Apr. 2025
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And perhaps the most frustrating and ironic aspect about these potential cuts is that in the scheme of the U.S. government’s overall budget, Mars gets much more of the planetary science budget than Venus.—
Bruce Dorminey,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 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,
5 Apr. 2025
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This isn't the first case of April Fools' tomfoolery from BabyQuip.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Special content, tips, and tricks: Free digital access to the vast recipe archives of Bon Appétit and Epicurious, plus an in-depth video filmed in the test kitchen of one recipe from each box.—
The Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 Apr. 2025
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But back to the task at hand: One trick to schooling yourself while keeping things fun is taking a tour — or a few of them.—
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
8 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
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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 25 Apr. 2025.
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