skylarking 1 of 2

noun

as in funning
wildly playful or mischievous behavior the players often engaged in a bit of roughhousing and skylarking before big games

Synonyms & Similar Words

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skylarking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of skylark
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
  1. horseplay
  2. reveling
  3. playing
  4. joking
  5. horsing around
  6. frolicking
  7. clowning
  8. cutting up
Noun
  • The device’s user manual also warns it should not be used in response to verbal defiance, or for punishment, torture or horseplay.
    — Ryan J. Foley, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The device's user manual also warns it should not be used in response to verbal defiance, or for punishment, torture or horseplay.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of horseplay
Verb
  • Right in the middle of cheering, reveling masses was MARTA — a connective system of veins that efficiently moved the happy throngs.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Mary Murphy, a young reporter from Queens, had been at Shea that night, reveling with her sisters in the upper loge section along the first-base line.
    — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of reveling
Verb
  • Rumors have circulated that Stan may be playing Harvey Dent, the district attorney who eventually becomes the villainous Two-Face and was previously portrayed by Aaron Eckhart, Tommy Lee Jones, and Billy Dee Williams.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Trout, whose Angels tenure has included seven managers and five heads of baseball operations, will now be playing under a new owner for the first time.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of playing
Noun
  • Indeed, at lunch, instead of separating into groups to eat, all 16 participants form one mega table and spend the half-hour joking and laughing together.
    — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Many readers — some likely joking — shared their grievances with Elmo.
    — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of joking
Verb
  • Also, don’t get too out of control horsing around with friends in the water.
    — John Natale, Hartford Courant, 16 Aug. 2026
  • After horsing around, peruse the quilt displays, agriculture exhibits and arts-and-crafts competitions.
    — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of horsing around
Verb
  • The small-dog park remained on top of the 100 African graves — though pets are prohibited from frolicking in the island’s other cemeteries.
    — Oliver Wu, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Many a time while working in the field, Walker and her team saw their target species frolicking above their heads, yet their nets remained frustratingly empty at the end of the night.
    — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of frolicking
Noun
  • The clowning might be a little too effortful.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
  • 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
Definition of clowning
Verb
  • What parents can do on hectic mornings Nemours recommends doing as much as possible the night before, from setting out dishes to cutting up fruit.
    — Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Using unseen footage from Presley’s 1969 to 1976 Las Vegas residency, the movie plays the hits – plus The Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel – but also showcases his sense of humor, quipping with crowds and cutting up with bandmates.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 12 June 2026
Definition of cutting up
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.

Browse Nearby Words

skylarkers
skylarking
skylarks
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Cite this Entry

“Skylarking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skylarking. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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