as in joking
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
the players often engaged in a bit of roughhousing and skylarking before big games
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in reveling
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior
couldn't resist the temptation to skylark as commencement ceremonies came to a close
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in playing
to engage in activity for amusement
he spends his time joking and skylarking, but his brother is serious and industrious
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skylarking
Noun
-
Cole follows up with a joking request to appear on an interlude on the forthcoming project, then asks whether West could send him a care package of clothes — which West agrees to — before exiting the stage.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
28 Dec. 2025 -
Our poll’s options include a joking reference to Dan Marino.—
Greg Cote
December 20,
Miami Herald,
20 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Maybe the girl had crawled under a neighbor's trailer while playing hide-and-seek.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Massey also has experience playing the outfield, which should keep him in a regular role.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Used primarily as an office building, its ornate design, carvings and sculptures — including a ground floor fountain with frolicking bronze youths — hadn’t invited much public attention or appreciation.—
Lina Lecaro,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Birds in the steppe fly by, frolicking, and disappear somewhere in the sky, in distant silence.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
There was reportedly no horseplay or swerving during the ride, according to 9News.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
In April 2020, Iglesias shared a video of him horsing around with Lucy and Nicholas as the pair attempted to climb on his back for a ride.—
Andrea Wurzburger,
PEOPLE,
19 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The clowning isn’t over just yet, though.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
13 Jan. 2026
-
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
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
Verb
-
Meanwhile, as all of this is happening, Meredith is cutting up with the other ladies at the spa, without a care in the world.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
31 Dec. 2025
-
Ford is planning on cutting up to 1,000 roles in electric-vehicle production in Germany.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Skylarking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skylarking. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
