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
Relevance
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
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 shenanigans
The scandal surrounding the off-field shenanigans between the Patriots head coach and an NFL reporter just took a kiss-cam turn.
—
Staff and Wire Reports, Boston Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
That means Hawkins Lab may get up to some minor shenanigans, and the Upside Down may harbor peculiar creatures — one of which props up the first season’s central mystery about a hostile spore-spreading species — but none of them can be any more nefarious or terrifying than what popped up before.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 23 Apr. 2026
The bear's shenanigans were caught on the home's Ring camera.
—Mike Sullivan, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
The constant interviews, sideline shenanigans and weird rules completely detract from the action on the field.
—Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2026
William really is having a time of it down in Savannah, learning that literally everyone in his life has been lying to him about various shenanigans.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
But what’s a rom-com without some inciting shenanigans?
—Adam Graham, Twin Cities, 16 Apr. 2026
This is an open invitation to shenanigans of all kinds.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2026
But again, there’s no place in the game for those kinds of shenanigans.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
Staff and Wire Reports, Boston Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
That means Hawkins Lab may get up to some minor shenanigans, and the Upside Down may harbor peculiar creatures — one of which props up the first season’s central mystery about a hostile spore-spreading species — but none of them can be any more nefarious or terrifying than what popped up before.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 23 Apr. 2026
The bear's shenanigans were caught on the home's Ring camera.
—Mike Sullivan, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
The constant interviews, sideline shenanigans and weird rules completely detract from the action on the field.
—Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2026
William really is having a time of it down in Savannah, learning that literally everyone in his life has been lying to him about various shenanigans.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
But what’s a rom-com without some inciting shenanigans?
—Adam Graham, Twin Cities, 16 Apr. 2026
This is an open invitation to shenanigans of all kinds.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2026
But again, there’s no place in the game for those kinds of shenanigans.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shenanigans
Noun
-
His tics are not naughty mischief, but an uncontrollable action.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
-
No one in Florida had been charged with criminal mischief for defacing a traffic control device until the August arrests.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Apr. 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
-
British police launched a criminal probe and arrested Mandelson in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office.—
Jill Lawless,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is leaving her post amid an internal investigation brought on by complaints about misconduct by the secretary while in office.—
Andrea Hsu,
NPR,
20 Apr. 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
-
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
-
Receivers have cratered seasons with me-over-we buffoonery.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
As the race unfolds in real time, there’s clowning, collisions, sabotage, surprises, comedy, chaos and more.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Comedy and clowning are ways Zaalan has connected with their homeland after the Syrian revolution.—
Candace Hansen,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The precisely choreographed horseplay in the first act of his Nutcracker is physical comedy at its best.—
Manuel Mendoza,
Dallas Morning News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
More horseplay: Saturday brings the 75th running of the Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, a chance to watch horses that will soon run in the Kentucky Derby, but also an excuse for locals to dress up with outfits topped by a hat or fascinator.—
Ben Crandell,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Mar. 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 26 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
