as in clowned (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
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horsed around
Verb
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Instead of dwelling in doubt, cut up paper and throw it around.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026 -
Firefighting crews worked Monday to cool residual heat and prevent hot spots from causing reignition, using chainsaws to fell and cut up hazardous trees, inspecting each section for heat and using hoses to extinguish any remaining embers.—
Forum News Service,
Twin Cities,
20 May 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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An astronaut was interviewed beside someone in a spacesuit, and a team from Carnegie Mellon showed off some sort of handstanding robotic dog.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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Jack Plummer continues to be one of the league's best quarterbacks, and showed off his rushing skills with a 71-yard score against Dallas.—
Jacob Camenker,
USA Today,
18 May 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
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Cite this Entry
“Horsed around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horsed%20around. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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