as in to fool around
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior
the boys were horsing around on the boat when one of them fell overboard
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of horse around
Four people are facing charges in Louisiana for horsing around in a small-town Walmart last week.
Video that was posted on TikTok and went viral on social media showed three men and a teenage boy riding horses through the business in Baker, Louisiana.
—
Elizabeth Pritchett, FOXNews.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Quit horsing around — the Clydesdales are back!
—Breanne L. Heldman, People.com, 10 Feb. 2025
In the video, Payne is shown horsing around with a large outdoor crowd and his bandmates, encouraging the fans to quiet their screaming and then raise the volume all the way back up.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2025
The unidentified pre-teen was horsing around and throwing snowballs in Connecticut’s capital city with an 11-year-old friend, local ABC affiliate WTNH reported.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for horse around
Elizabeth Pritchett, FOXNews.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Quit horsing around — the Clydesdales are back!
—Breanne L. Heldman, People.com, 10 Feb. 2025
In the video, Payne is shown horsing around with a large outdoor crowd and his bandmates, encouraging the fans to quiet their screaming and then raise the volume all the way back up.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2025
The unidentified pre-teen was horsing around and throwing snowballs in Connecticut’s capital city with an 11-year-old friend, local ABC affiliate WTNH reported.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for horse around
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horse around
Verb
-
Those have come from two players: Adrian Morejon of the San Diego Padres, who throws an odd knuckleball-changeup hybrid about 1 percent of the time, and Jonah Bride of the Minnesota Twins, an infielder fooling around with the knuckler in blowouts.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
-
As Molly and Guy start to fool around, things get hot and heavy, but Ernie has a job to do.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Gone are the days when New Line held their Scare Diego at a Gaslamp multiplex which previewed their upcoming genre movies, or Universal showed off early screenings of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Visit in 2015.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
24 July 2025
-
World of Words, the brand-new exhibition at the Arni Magnusson Institute for Icelandic Studies, shows off the origins of Norse mythology to the public for the first time in over a decade.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
24 July 2025
Verb
-
But the Idaho Department of Education, State Board of Education, and colleges and universities will have to identify spending cuts up to 6%.—
Ryan Suppe,
Idaho Statesman,
18 June 2025
-
And in order to maintain a nutritious balance to each of these meals, consider adding cut up vegetables (like celery or carrots) or fruit (strawberries or blueberries are easy options) to the plate.—
Stephanie Ganz,
Parents,
15 July 2025
Verb
-
Millennials are all about heading to the doctor’s office when their guts start acting up—and both experts agreed that’s a positive thing.—
Alisa Hrustic,
Health,
29 July 2025
-
Just in time for the big opening, Charlotte’s vertigo starts acting up.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
18 July 2025
Verb
-
Those who wish to revel without reservation in good feelings about their country feel threatened by those who note the tragedies and oppression that lay at the heart of this period.—
ANNETTE GORDON-REED,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Dec. 2017
-
And there are the neighbors who revel at the many nicknames coined for the spot.—
Lauren Brensel,
Sun Sentinel,
17 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Horse around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horse%20around. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share