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

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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 video depicts a group of students engaged in horseplay, progressing to two 15-year-olds tussling and laughing, according to the suit.
    — Eric Peterson, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The undefeated South Dakota Coyotes prowled into Albertsons Stadium this weekend and turned what could have been an evening of horseplay for the Broncos into a dogfight.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of horseplay
Verb
  • The video sweeps around a reveling fiefdom, showing everyone from peasants to dukes partying and getting it on.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of reveling
Verb
  • Fele Martínez has this incredible ability to be funny without playing comedy.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • And in the battle for control of the Senate, Republicans are now playing defense and spending tens of millions of dollars in some of the most Republican states in the country.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of playing
Noun
  • Russell was mentioned in that speech, but in a joking way, playing off of how frequent Oscars director Glenn Weiss, who won for his role helming the 2018 Academy Awards telecast, had used his speech to propose to his then-girlfriend.
    — Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Arch Manning's joking comments at a news conference about a fake video of coach Steve Sarkisian slapping ESPN reporter Holly Rowe erupted in controversy.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 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
  • On Wednesday, the actress took to social media to share a series of photos of herself frolicking around the Santa Monica Pier in a brunette wig while enjoying an afternoon with her best friend.
    — Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • For Wolf, frolicking in mud is both literal and metaphorical.
    — Isabelle Farina, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of frolicking
Noun
  • On paper, the script didn’t seem that funny, and the looseness of it all — the clowning, the lack of a traditional plot structure — seemed kind of slapdash.
    — Victor Garber, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The clowning might be a little too effortful.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
Definition of clowning
Verb
  • One reason being that the videographer kept cutting up [a slab of] meat for the castle owner.
    — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Cut the half into thin wedges by making ½-inch slices lengthwise through the onion, cutting up to, but not through, the root end.
    — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 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 17 Oct. 2026.

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