1
as in clowning (around)
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior
stop monkeying around in the house or you'll break something
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in fiddling (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 monkeying (around)
Verb
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In response, staff proposed cutting up to five meetings per commission in the next fiscal year, along with other cost-saving measures such as freezing community ambassador stipends, to help close the city’s projected $66 million budget gap.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
19 May 2026 -
Misael eating meat alone, cutting up pieces with an enormous knife while barely lit by the flames in front of him, and, sporadically, almost-silent lightning bursts in the distant background.—
Vadim Rizov,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Bevel was horsing around with the Reverend James Orange and Andy Young in the courtyard under King's balcony, according to Orange.—
Gail Sheehy,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
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In April 2020, Iglesias shared a video of him horsing around with Lucy and Nicholas as the pair attempted to climb on his back for a ride.—
Andrea Wurzburger,
PEOPLE,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Zeus did not approve of his daughter fooling around with this mortal roughneck hunter and put out a hit on Orion.—
Mike Lynch,
Twin Cities,
8 Mar. 2026
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The transition was rough for Ansari, who wasn’t fluent in English and often got in trouble for fooling around in school.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Now the dog is back to bothering her brother and showing off her sassy personality.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
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Emma Roberts demonstrated this perfectly on May 6, showing off the red shoe trend on the streets of New York for a shoot with Adidas and Nordstrom.—
Katharina Fuchs,
Glamour,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Marcus tries to balance pushing Nick to keep playing while knowing his older brother has to do what’s best for him and his family.—
Joe Smith,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
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Things get clubbier in the basement Music Room, all red velvet with an indoor-outdoor bar for smokers and a modelesque DJ playing pumping house on our visit.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 May 2026
Verb
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Baye continued acting up until 2023.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
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The capsule’s toilet is already acting up.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Winners Week 1 in primetime The schedule makers weren’t messing around with the opening week of games under the lights.—
Jeff Howe,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
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All of our memories are traveling the world, messing around, having fun, and being teenagers.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In 2019, city employees began hanging about 500 trick-or-treat pumpkin buckets in the trees on Main Street every October.—
Elliott Harrell,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Oct. 2025
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Orion Nebula Those viewing from a dark sky location may also notice a blurry patch of light hanging about 5 degrees below Orion's belt.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
14 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Monkeying (around).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkeying%20%28around%29. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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