1
as in clowned (around)
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior
stop monkeying around in the house or you'll break something
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in fiddled (around)
to spend time in aimless activity
would rather just monkey around instead of doing work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for monkeyed (around)
Verb
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By the third period, with his nose cut up, Kesselring was on the ice in the final minute of the game, helping to get it to overtime.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
17 Jan. 2026 -
To meet that goal, the grantmaker will cut up to 500 of its 2,375 staff positions by 2030, including some open roles that may remain unfilled.—
Stephanie Beasley,
Fortune,
14 Jan. 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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Curry, the acclaimed actor known for his roles in The Rocky Horror Picture Show and It, played serial killer and rapist Billy Flynn in the fifth and sixth seasons of the show.—
Raven Brunner,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
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Crowder, a key component to the Heat’s run to the 2020 NBA Finals, last played in the league last season with the Sacramento Kings.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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That’s the fun discovery meteorologist Jennifer McDermed showed off in a post on X last week, amid severe winter weather across much of the country.—
Adam Carlson,
PEOPLE,
25 Jan. 2026
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This past week, Sophie Turner made headlines after Amazon showed off her look as Lara Croft in its upcoming Tomb Raider series, the result of classic costuming and apparently eight-hour-a-day workouts, according to the actress.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Monkeyed (around).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkeyed%20%28around%29. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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