1
as in addiction
a physiological need for certain drugs
I've got this monkey on my back, and going to detox is the only way to get it off
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in devil
an appealingly mischievous person
come back here, you little monkey!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of monkey
Charlie Campbell, TIME, 24 Jan. 2025
The video closes with a monkey seemingly listening to the song — the clips were all the animal’s fantasy.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 24 Jan. 2025
Michael Haag, Dallas News, 10 Oct. 2022
With supply running low toward the end of most evenings, savvy bun fanatics don’t monkey around, routinely calling ahead to request an extra skillet of rolls set aside just for them. Ettan.
—Valerie Demicheva and Flora Chang, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 July 2021
See all Example Sentences for monkey 
Noun
Another key feature are monkeys; over 140 statues of primates adorn rooftops and gateposts, and much like the Testa di Moro pottery that came to define Season 2, monkeys are the new talisman for the mischief unfolding beneath their treetop perch.
—Charlie Campbell, TIME, 24 Jan. 2025
The video closes with a monkey seemingly listening to the song — the clips were all the animal’s fantasy.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 24 Jan. 2025
Verb
The Bears will be prepared for the environment, but getting that Morgantown monkey off their back will take a lot more than imagined.
—Michael Haag, Dallas News, 10 Oct. 2022
With supply running low toward the end of most evenings, savvy bun fanatics don’t monkey around, routinely calling ahead to request an extra skillet of rolls set aside just for them. Ettan.
—Valerie Demicheva and Flora Chang, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 July 2021
See all Example Sentences for monkey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for monkey
Noun
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It was written when lead singer Anthony Kiedis was struggling with the aftermath of a severe drug addiction.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
31 Jan. 2025
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Vertex’s new pill is a new alternative for pain relief that comes without the risk of addiction.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
31 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Play devil’s advocate, explore worst-case scenarios and invite constructive criticism.—
Mark Kane,
Forbes,
22 Jan. 2025
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Against Djokovic, that battle can become a devil’s choice.—
Matthew Futterman,
The Athletic,
20 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Aside from a striking physical resemblance to the Silent Brotherhood’s founder, Hoult closely studied his subject, aping Mathews’ mannerisms and movements from old documentary footage, studying texts that radicalized his subject, lifting weights, and cutting alcohol from his diet.—
Ali Winston,
WIRED,
6 Dec. 2024
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On its app homepage, JD has begun aping Pinduoduo by emphasizing discounts.—
Lavender Au,
WIRED,
4 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Orange cats have earned an online reputation for being chaotic, energetic rascals.—
Gayoung Lee,
Smithsonian Magazine,
10 Dec. 2024
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Eventually, Sergei — now going by Kraven — begins knocking off a growing list of poachers, corporate rascals and international kingpins.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
5 Dec. 2024
Verb
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West’s hellfire-and-locust symbolism parodied biblical judgment, but such shame no longer applies to current secular permissiveness or the progressive ideology in Marxist writer Mike Davis’s City of Quartz (1990), famous for its subversive condemnation of Los Angeles’s capitalist elitism.—
Armond White,
National Review,
31 Jan. 2025
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In Sassy Justice, the technology was used to parody Donald Trump and Mark Zuckerberg, among others.—
Georg Szalai,
The Hollywood Reporter,
8 Dec. 2024
Noun
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What’s a good way for a ragtag group of video-game heroes (or for a heroic rogue flying solo) to either get some respite from the action or gear up for a momentous narrative?—
Angelica Frey,
JSTOR Daily,
21 Jan. 2025
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And the issue at hand runs deeper than a few rogue docs overstepping their bounds.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Giving a heightened sense of drama to the occasion, the 18-year-old marked the goal by mimicking Haaland’s celebration – sitting cross-legged and closing his eyes as if meditating.—
George Ramsay,
CNN,
3 Feb. 2025
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Soaking seeds before planting them mimics the favorable growing conditions after a spring rain.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Following Beyoncé's 11 nominations are Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, Post Malone and Charli xcx — who taught everyone how to have a brat summer — with seven nods.—
Marina Watts,
People.com,
1 Feb. 2025
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Martha is brat Martha Stewart loves an unlikely pairing (hey, Snoop Dogg!), and Uber Eats chose to put her next to Charli XCX.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
29 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Monkey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkey. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
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