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
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Recent Examples of shenanigans
Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett are typically game for meta shenanigans, a likely byproduct of helming two meta slasher movies in the Scream franchise.
—
Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
There is also the fact that half the group is postpartum and therefore too tired for the usual intra-Tok shenanigans anyway.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 12 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
In his latest mock, Sam gives us a full two rounds of picks, using the draft order without any lottery shenanigans in the mix.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Some shenanigans may have gone too far.
—Arkansas Online, 17 Feb. 2026
Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
There is also the fact that half the group is postpartum and therefore too tired for the usual intra-Tok shenanigans anyway.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 12 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
In his latest mock, Sam gives us a full two rounds of picks, using the draft order without any lottery shenanigans in the mix.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Some shenanigans may have gone too far.
—Arkansas Online, 17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shenanigans
Noun
-
Mack is also facing charges of tampering with physical evidence and criminal mischief.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Small but fiery, this teensy design perches perfectly on her shoulder, balancing a hint of mischief with a touch of sweetness.—
Calin Van Paris,
InStyle,
9 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
-
Their first trial had ended in a hung during, and the second has been delayed twice as an investigation grows around alleged misconduct from a State Police officer who investigated their case.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Democrats have sought to require body cameras and judicial warrants for arrests, forbid the use of masks and expand the ability to sue DHS for alleged misconduct.—
Bloomberg Wire,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
The women’s team declined their joking invitation and had to explain comments directed at them.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Death by Lightning, adapted by Mike Makowsky from Candice Millard’s 2011 nonfiction book and directed by Matt Ross, hums with the strength of these performances, particularly Shannon’s quiet composure and Macfadyen mining new depths of buffoonery.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
-
North Coast Rep will present a show Dec. 11-Dec. 14 with bubbling energy and comedic buffoonery in the British Pantomime version of The Adventures of Robin Hood as its next student production.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Yes, this is the modern clowning that all the thinkpieces are thinking about.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
1 Mar. 2026
-
With an impressive ability to do accents and a background in clowning, Storrie is made for this.—
Tiffany Kelly,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Feb. 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 18 Mar. 2026.
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