as in horsed around
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior
as a youngster he was always clowning around in the classroom
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clowned (around)
Verb
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Her voice is intimate and resonant, whether cut up into indistinct background flurries or pushed to the front of the mix.—
Alex Robert Ross,
Pitchfork,
13 Feb. 2026 -
Such a potato is cut up into sections, each having a sprout or two.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Not too long ago, artificial intelligence was more or less a science project in which data scientists and developers fooled around with one-off small or test projects.—
Joe McKendrick,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And of course, Peterson not playing would have made some wonder if the McDonald’s All-American’s hamstring had acted up again.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
7 Dec. 2025
Verb
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After Reaves scored, Kennard showed off his passing skills, finding Jarred Vanderbilt under the basket for a dunk.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
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Jones dressed sportily for the occasion in a white zip-up, puffy athletic jacket with a short crop that showed off a bit of her midriff in between a long, white flowing skirt that gathered high in the front.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
8 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Clowned (around).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clowned%20%28around%29. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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