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
Viewers praised Davis' character for his shenanigans and comedic delivery.
—
Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
The cult hit comedy franchise Super Troopers revolves around the shenanigans of a group of Vermont state troopers who are slacker pranksters first and foremost.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2025
The cast of Southern Charm takes the spotlight with their genteel draw and spirited shenanigans center stage to give fans the perfect fix ahead of a buzz-worthy new season.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 30 Sep. 2025
There are also broader sociological changes making the ARR shenanigans possible.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shenanigan
Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
The cult hit comedy franchise Super Troopers revolves around the shenanigans of a group of Vermont state troopers who are slacker pranksters first and foremost.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2025
The cast of Southern Charm takes the spotlight with their genteel draw and spirited shenanigans center stage to give fans the perfect fix ahead of a buzz-worthy new season.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 30 Sep. 2025
There are also broader sociological changes making the ARR shenanigans possible.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shenanigan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shenanigan
Noun
-
Norton’s theory is that Wahlberg overindulged before his appearance to promote Broken City, leading to the actor creating mischief during the BBC recording and, at one point, falling asleep.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
13 Oct. 2025
-
The Houston police department confirmed their response to the scene to PEOPLE and said one suspect, Arturo Martinez, 20, was arrested and faces one charge of criminal mischief.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Many suspect a spam call and don't pick up the phone, leading foundation staff to sometimes devise ruses.—
Kelly Meyerhofer,
jsonline.com,
8 Oct. 2025
-
But authorities now believe Speight made the whole story up — and even shot himself as part of a ruse.—
Janelle Griffith,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Cohen, like other prosecutors who commit intentional misconduct are shielded – entirely.—
Micah Kimball,
Denver Post,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The immunity would not apply in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct by the dispatcher.—
Jessie Opoien,
jsonline.com,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Jones eventually got into his joking bag, and Bleek took that opportunity to seriously set the record straight one last time.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
15 Oct. 2025
-
And their joking comments about their relationship never help the matter.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Cornerback Jourdan Lewis has been playing at a high level, but Tyson Campbell didn’t look like a scheme fit, which might explain why he was recently traded along with a seventh-round pick for Greg Newsome and a sixth-round pick from the Cleveland Browns.—
Ted Nguyen,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
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Other rural regions of Italy have had similar experiences and also launched similar schemes over the last several years with the goal of boosting development and combating depopulation.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This Survivor 49 challenge tomfoolery actually began before the season even started filming.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Rite of passage or midnight tomfoolery?—
Jake Allen,
IndyStar,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The buckets are used as a replacement for the standard cardboard Happy Meal box and can double as a candy pail to use for trick-or-treating on Halloween.—
Endia Fontanez,
AZCentral.com,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Add them to movie-night snacks, candy bowls, or trick-or-treat bags for a fun, not-too-frightening addition to your Halloween spread.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Their relationship, tentative, intimate, and defiant, lingers long after the satirical skewering of male buffoonery has faded.—
Leila Latif,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
-
He’s been tinkering with this messaging on and off since damn near the start of the century, when his criticism of the genre shifted from the power-holding executives (both white and Black) of the music industry who were profiting off buffoonery, a la Bamboozled, to rap music itself.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shenanigan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shenanigan. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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