shenanigan

noun

shə-ˈna-ni-gən How to pronounce shenanigan (audio)
Definition of shenanigannext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in joking
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shenanigan The second season of The Gentlemen promises more crime world shenanigans, a new Untold documentary delves into the 2024 Olympics' weirdest moment, and more. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 28 Aug. 2026 Be sure to watch for Ralphie running across the field (hopefully accompanied by her handlers) and Uga's shenanigans. — Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 First, this is an actual race, not just intra-mission shenanigans. — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 27 Aug. 2026 However, when asked about any shenanigans Yungblud and Hill might have gotten into on the road, the singer remains circumspect. — Katherine Turman, SPIN, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shenanigan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shenanigan
  1. mischief
  2. joking
  3. ruse
  4. misconduct
  5. tomfoolery
  6. scheme
  7. buffoonery
  8. trick
Noun
  • Bucking Fastard, Werner Herzog’s first fiction film since 2019, belongs to a hallowed lineage of cinema about weird gals getting into mischief.
    — Nate Jones, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
  • For a curious cat or dog, a quick nibble or brush against the wrong bloom can turn a little botanical mischief into a serious medical emergency.
    — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of mischief
Noun
  • Indeed, at lunch, instead of separating into groups to eat, all 16 participants form one mega table and spend the half-hour joking and laughing together.
    — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Many readers — some likely joking — shared their grievances with Elmo.
    — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of joking
Noun
  • And Billie and Greg’s ongoing ruse is classic sitcom fodder, even if there’s not much to it besides wanting to keep Samir happy.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The Decoy Plane, a documentary chronicling the ruse, on Friday, September 4.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of ruse
Noun
  • Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned in April over the misconduct allegations.
    — Lauren Kaori Gurley, Washington Post, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Prosecutors argued that the jury’s dispute reflected not misconduct but a legitimate disagreement over the evidence.
    — Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of misconduct
Noun
  • That is where all classic Tom and Jerry tomfoolery ends — and there are another 95 minutes to go.
    — Caspar Salmon, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • New assistant coach Alice Chilton is a blatant remodeling of Roy Kent — a brusque ex-soccer player who’s reluctant to engage with Ted’s tomfoolery or personal prodding — but Tanya Reynolds’ performance is equal turns wounded and witty.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of tomfoolery
Noun
  • Smith, though, is still adjusting to coach Mike Macdonald’s defensive scheme.
    — Andrew Destin, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The bigger those two factor primes are, conventional thinking goes, the harder their multiplication is to undo—a sentiment that has made RSA one of the world’s most popular encryption schemes since its debut nearly a half-century ago.
    — Peter Hall, Scientific American, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of scheme
Noun
  • Still, there's a remarkable level of buffoonery in his analysis.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The show, with its interest in corporate buffoonery, doesn’t quite manage to hand-wave away the queasy implications.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
Definition of buffoonery
Noun
  • The Cinderella dress that Kaitlyn Argyriou’s mother had sewn for her as a child and which Argyriou’s daughter, Avery, 4, had planned to wear trick-or-treating in Colorado Springs on Halloween.
    — Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The tips and tricks for maintaining hosiery that used to be passed down by family and friends are in danger of being lost to time and ever-changing fashion trends.
    — Jolie Kerr, Washington Post, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of trick

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shenanigan
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Cite this Entry

“Shenanigan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shenanigan. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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