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
Historically, Mischief Night is supposed to be the night of harmless pranks, but many police departments have developed plans to prevent the shenanigans.
—
Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
No Way Home, which famously featured all three Peters coming together in some multiversal shenanigans.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2025
Any Boston-versus-Philly shenanigans are liable to end in egged houses without the cover of Halloween night.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
In recent decades the Mexican celebration of Día de los Muertos has been widely embraced across the Bay Area, providing a comforting counterpoint to the thrills, chills and shenanigans of Halloween.
—Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
Read on to learn how this treat inspired such shenanigans.
—Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 19 Oct. 2025
The folks at the unfortunate mercy of such shenanigans, however, might just be Dart and Broncos quarterback Bo Nix.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 17 Oct. 2025
More pastel shenanigans are on the way.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2025
Still, the sleek production design, symphonic score and performances from a killer ensemble act as a life preserver, making the shenanigans at sea a little less choppy.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 9 Oct. 2025
Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
No Way Home, which famously featured all three Peters coming together in some multiversal shenanigans.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2025
Any Boston-versus-Philly shenanigans are liable to end in egged houses without the cover of Halloween night.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
In recent decades the Mexican celebration of Día de los Muertos has been widely embraced across the Bay Area, providing a comforting counterpoint to the thrills, chills and shenanigans of Halloween.
—Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
Read on to learn how this treat inspired such shenanigans.
—Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 19 Oct. 2025
The folks at the unfortunate mercy of such shenanigans, however, might just be Dart and Broncos quarterback Bo Nix.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 17 Oct. 2025
More pastel shenanigans are on the way.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2025
Still, the sleek production design, symphonic score and performances from a killer ensemble act as a life preserver, making the shenanigans at sea a little less choppy.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 9 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shenanigans
Noun
-
Let’s have a moratorium on mischief during whatever this period is.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Nov. 2025
-
The moon is glimmering, the veil between worlds is thin and there’s an air of mischief lingering in the shadows.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
There was nothing particularly frightening about their Viennese waltz, which was a nice change from all the creepy tomfoolery earlier in the night.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
28 Oct. 2025
-
This Survivor 49 challenge tomfoolery actually began before the season even started filming.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
That gap gives congregations wide latitude to hire and restore youth pastors, worship leaders and other associate ministers — including those with histories of misconduct.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Springfield officials, meanwhile, called for a review of the department's hiring practices after previous allegations of misconduct against Grayson were revealed.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Self was in a joking mood when asked about the squad’s stellar defensive play.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
29 Oct. 2025
-
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
Noun
-
Since medieval times, the colorful fool—from court jesters to Shakespeare’s characters—has used playful wit to critique authority and buffoonery to whip up excitement.—
Time,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Their relationship, tentative, intimate, and defiant, lingers long after the satirical skewering of male buffoonery has faded.—
Leila Latif,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Art, meanwhile, occupies a lonely table in the pizzeria and tries to put on his best clowning act for the two women.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
-
As with older clowning traditions, the early American circus clowns were adults performing taboo acts to shock and delight other adults.—
Time,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
But what had once been raucous and raunchy mischief, was now benign horseplay.—
Time,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Your impatience with Bruno Tonioli’s horseplay was missed, lady!—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
As for Abdul-Mateen, the clownery will resume for him on Broadway.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2022
-
Tirhakah Love is a senior writer at New York Magazine and the host of the new evening newsletter Dinner Party, a daily email that touches on all things entertainment — that means film, television, music, tech, and gaming — plus politics and corporate clownery.—
Vulture,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Shenanigans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shenanigans. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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