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 hijinks
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
Kimmel and Damon have playfully traded barbs over the past two decades since that moment, roping others like Ben Affleck, Sarah Silverman, and Tom Brady into their shenanigans.
—
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Oct. 2025
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
At least the deck crew’s shenanigans are a source of constant amusement to the guests, but Nathan and Sandy are getting pissed.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2025
There are also broader sociological changes making the ARR shenanigans possible.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2025
Through some mysticism and timey-wimey shenanigans, the priestess and her eight companions manage to fight another day, but Towa becomes a timeline-jumping specter in the process.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2025
The duo hatch a revenge plot, and shenanigans ensue.
—PC Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Oct. 2025
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
At least the deck crew’s shenanigans are a source of constant amusement to the guests, but Nathan and Sandy are getting pissed.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2025
There are also broader sociological changes making the ARR shenanigans possible.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2025
Through some mysticism and timey-wimey shenanigans, the priestess and her eight companions manage to fight another day, but Towa becomes a timeline-jumping specter in the process.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2025
The duo hatch a revenge plot, and shenanigans ensue.
—PC Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shenanigans
Noun
-
Gossip fed the frenzy of the Salem Witch Trials and has been the subtext of one too many fables where mischief masks moral rot.—
Oriel FeldmanHall,
Time,
6 Oct. 2025
-
He was first arrested in 2012 in Palm Beach County, Florida, on charges of battery, improper exhibit of a firearm or dangerous weapon and criminal mischief, with only criminal mischief upheld.—
Brooke Taylor,
FOXNews.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Ottawa’s best players were out of sync, took too many penalties and were literally left battered and bloody after fights and misconduct penalties.—
Julian McKenzie,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Previous stars include Curtiss Cook, who left after season 6, Ntare Mwine, who left after season 3, and original series star Jason Mitchell, who was dropped from The Chi in 2019 amid misconduct allegations.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Only an Aries, like Lily, can take Barney’s jabs in a joking way.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
19 Sep. 2025
-
When Peanut pulled his second escape act, his owners knew where to look and handled Peanut's disappearance in a joking manner.—
Michael Nied,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
During Full House, Sweetin said the child actors would often come across as more professional than their adult counterparts amid all the tomfoolery.—
Daysia Tolentino,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Rite of passage or midnight tomfoolery?—
Jake Allen,
IndyStar,
10 Sep. 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
Noun
-
Finally, after plenty of clowning, Taylor Swift has revealed that her 12th album is on the way, titled The Life of a Showgirl.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
13 Aug. 2025
-
This is a work in which the slapstick clowning and the tricky verbal non sequiturs should be merely the surface for roiling undercurrents of anguish, futility, despair and fear.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Shenanigans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shenanigans. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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