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 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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shenanigan
The Tartan Army has gone viral on social media for their shenanigans and infectious energy.
—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
23 June 2026
Clark might be a somewhat unpopular champ, after a handful of embarrassing shenanigans the past few years.
—
Alex Kirshner,
New York Times,
21 June 2026
As Venable predicted, there were no shenanigans Saturday in the Sox’s 4-1 loss to the Tigers on a gorgeous afternoon in Motown.
—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
20 June 2026
My parents were not the sort to tolerate teen-age drinking shenanigans.
—
Sarah Miller,
New Yorker,
20 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for shenanigan
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
23 June 2026
Clark might be a somewhat unpopular champ, after a handful of embarrassing shenanigans the past few years.
—
Alex Kirshner,
New York Times,
21 June 2026
As Venable predicted, there were no shenanigans Saturday in the Sox’s 4-1 loss to the Tigers on a gorgeous afternoon in Motown.
—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
20 June 2026
My parents were not the sort to tolerate teen-age drinking shenanigans.
—
Sarah Miller,
New Yorker,
20 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for shenanigan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shenanigan
Noun
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Police arrested the pair on charges of burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, criminal trespass, criminal tampering, possession of burglar's tools, disorderly conduct and other offenses.
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Both face multiple charges -- including burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, criminal trespass, violation of a local law, criminal tampering, disorderly conduct and possession of burglar's tools -- according to police.
Noun
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Oh, but the Padres manager was ready with the joking last night.
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Still, Yoon’s joking somehow lightens the mood.
Noun
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Early the next morning, the authorities were at Burdette’s door, this time without a ruse.
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Of course, this could all be a literally and figurative swift ruse on the part of the Miss Americana superstar and her Super Bowl-winning fiancé.
Noun
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Alite faces multiple counts of extortion, corporate misconduct, loansharking and terroristic threats.
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Councilman John Alite, 63, of Englishtown, was arrested on Friday and charged with multiple counts of theft by extortion, corporate misconduct, usury and terroristic threats, according to the New Jersey Attorney General's office.
Noun
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The project has been plagued by technical issues, supplier disputes, and alleged tomfoolery—empty mini tequila bottles were reportedly discovered on one of the airplanes under construction.
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The latest tomfoolery consisted of a posting on Twitter/X last week that provided a picture of a genuine Monet painting, and the picture was labeled as supposedly being AI-generated.
Noun
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Prosecutors allege Eidleh, along with other members of the scheme, solicited and received bribes and kickbacks from individuals and companies seeking approval to operate fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program sites.
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This has fueled the ‘spend not sell’ movement, in which builders seek to familiarize users with earning and spending their bitcoin rather than trading and falling for get-rich-quick schemes.
Noun
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Without Roberts in charge, expect the political and racial buffoonery to creep back into the conversation at ESPN.
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The show, with its interest in corporate buffoonery, doesn’t quite manage to hand-wave away the queasy implications.
Noun
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Boutique gems, new offers win the day Elevated VIP-style vacays with truffles, oysters and bubbly are attainable with some tips and tricks.
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Sora Shirai captured victory after maintaining his lead through the best trick section, while teammates Kairi Netsuke and Toa Sasaki climbed from the bottom of the leaderboard with clutch final tricks to complete a Japanese podium sweep.
Cite this Entry
“Shenanigan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shenanigan. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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