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
Relevance
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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Meanwhile, as all of this is happening, Meredith is cutting up with the other ladies at the spa, without a care in the world.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
31 Dec. 2025 -
Ford is planning on cutting up to 1,000 roles in electric-vehicle production in Germany.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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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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
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Gisin hopes that by fooling around with measurements of these more exotic states, physicists will come to better understand the role of measurement in general.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Our sunsets look like the sky is showing off every single evening.—
Becky Bartkowski,
AZCentral.com,
14 Feb. 2026
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The males dance, showing off their vivid abdomen, and vibrate along to a beat in a bid to impress their mate.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Baseball owners, with Dick Monfort playing a prominent role as a hawk in labor negotiations, are expected to lock out the players after this season, seeking a salary cap, believing that is the only reason the Dodgers win.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
12 Feb. 2026
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Back in 2013, Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez tore a ligament in his thumb while playing for the Dominican Republic.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Likewise, when the young men started acting up, Josephine Holt took a keen interest in her newspaper.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Jan. 2026
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If your trackpad is acting up, keyboard shortcuts can keep you productive without fighting the cursor.—
Ken Colburn,
AZCentral.com,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Most people are messing around charging far too little for clients who don't appreciate them.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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No messing around — just wham, bam, thank you, GLAM!—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
20 Jan. 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 16 Feb. 2026.
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