1
as in mischief
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 tomfoolery
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
an act of vandalism that went way beyond the usual shenanigans at summer camp
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shenanigans
And that dude was always up to some weird shenanigans.
—
Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Thoughtful and easygoing offstage, Peaches’ seemingly rebellious onstage shenanigans are hardly a reaction to her upbringing.
—Katherine Turman, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
The incident comes as authorities throughout the Sunshine State are cracking down on spring break shenanigans as college students descend on beaches up and down the coast.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Then there’s the sweetness underneath all the temporal shenanigans and graphically bloody shootouts.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 15 Mar. 2026
There were a lot of shenanigans going on back at new Vatu after the tribe lost the immunity contest.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
So dust off your green gear and let the shenanigans begin!
—Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 10 Mar. 2026
So was Representative Pete Sessions, a congressman who has developed something of a reputation over the years for his connections to Big Oil and his alleged willingness to get involved in overseas shenanigans.
—Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 10 Mar. 2026
There are a multitude of absurd high jinks and shenanigans (really the only words applicable here) that lead to Greg's decision to stay and inevitably fill each episode.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026
Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Thoughtful and easygoing offstage, Peaches’ seemingly rebellious onstage shenanigans are hardly a reaction to her upbringing.
—Katherine Turman, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
The incident comes as authorities throughout the Sunshine State are cracking down on spring break shenanigans as college students descend on beaches up and down the coast.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Then there’s the sweetness underneath all the temporal shenanigans and graphically bloody shootouts.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 15 Mar. 2026
There were a lot of shenanigans going on back at new Vatu after the tribe lost the immunity contest.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
So dust off your green gear and let the shenanigans begin!
—Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 10 Mar. 2026
So was Representative Pete Sessions, a congressman who has developed something of a reputation over the years for his connections to Big Oil and his alleged willingness to get involved in overseas shenanigans.
—Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 10 Mar. 2026
There are a multitude of absurd high jinks and shenanigans (really the only words applicable here) that lead to Greg's decision to stay and inevitably fill each episode.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shenanigans
Noun
-
Brendon pleaded guilty for criminal mischief.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Paul was arrested following the 2023 incident depicted in the video on misdemeanor charges of assault, criminal mischief and commission of domestic violence in the presence of a child, according to police.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Jazz are 15-35, which puts them at the sixth pick if zero lottery-ball tomfoolery happens.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
But enough of all that tomfoolery, because there is one person on the beach who knows exactly what is about to happen!—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
According to Hartman, the board found that the evidence showed police misconduct had occurred.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Van Dyke was previously charged with six counts of first-degree murder as well as and one count of official misconduct.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There was none of the usual laughing and joking.—
Mario Cortegana,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Lindsay says that Jesse was serious about asking, but that the make-out would be a joking make-out.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Receivers have cratered seasons with me-over-we buffoonery.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
19 Mar. 2026
-
His comic material, drawn mainly from perceptive observations of everyday life, might not be broad enough buffoonery for the movies.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
As in past years, the festival will feature independent artists and companies presenting new and experimental theater, dance, clowning, music and more.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Yes, this is the modern clowning that all the thinkpieces are thinking about.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Those dousings also prompted outrage from police leaders — who decried it as an inexcusable sign of disrespect, and even suggested that officers willing to walk away from that kind of horseplay should consider another line of work.—
Anthony Izaguirre,
Fortune,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Yet this is truly an ensemble show, in which each performer has multiple opportunities to shine, executing some splendidly silly bits together, such as delivering CPR to a sandwich or convincingly channeling their inner tots during some post-bedtime horseplay.—
Rob Hubbard,
Twin Cities,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The boys challenge each other to throw heavy objects, which leads to intense roughhousing.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The actor shared rare photos of the teen with his younger siblings, getting it in at the gym, hiking, and roughhousing.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shenanigans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shenanigans. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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