1
as in addictions
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 devils
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 monkeys
Greta Cross, USA Today, 18 May 2026
Video footage shared online shows an individual wearing a costume jumping down into the enclosure, prompting the monkeys to rush to the top of a rock structure as the intruder walks around before being pulled aside by a zoo employee.
—Angeline Jane Bernabe, ABC News, 18 May 2026
Images on social media showed a person scaling the fence in a costume that included a smiley face head with sunglasses, prompting the monkeys to scatter.
—Frank Andrews, CBS News, 18 May 2026
This is an eagle that genuinely hunts monkeys in the forest canopy.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
Humans looked evolutionarily weird The research team analyzed handedness data from 2,025 individuals across 41 species of monkeys and apes.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 16 May 2026
In front of them were the monkeys, which were placed on a sign denoting wildlife trafficking.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
For instance, if your child is fond of the colors purple and pink and likes monkeys and unicorns, look to see if a purple monkey or a white unicorn is available.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 15 May 2026
As part of efforts to phase out the use of monkeys in research, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention intends to transfer more than 160 macaques to Born Free USA, a nonprofit that runs a large primate sanctuary in Texas.
—Ed Silverman, STAT, 14 May 2026
Noun
For months, photos and videos of Punch with his orangutan and interacting with other monkeys in his exhibit went viral.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 18 May 2026
Video footage shared online shows an individual wearing a costume jumping down into the enclosure, prompting the monkeys to rush to the top of a rock structure as the intruder walks around before being pulled aside by a zoo employee.
—Angeline Jane Bernabe, ABC News, 18 May 2026
Images on social media showed a person scaling the fence in a costume that included a smiley face head with sunglasses, prompting the monkeys to scatter.
—Frank Andrews, CBS News, 18 May 2026
This is an eagle that genuinely hunts monkeys in the forest canopy.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
Humans looked evolutionarily weird The research team analyzed handedness data from 2,025 individuals across 41 species of monkeys and apes.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 16 May 2026
In front of them were the monkeys, which were placed on a sign denoting wildlife trafficking.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
For instance, if your child is fond of the colors purple and pink and likes monkeys and unicorns, look to see if a purple monkey or a white unicorn is available.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 15 May 2026
As part of efforts to phase out the use of monkeys in research, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention intends to transfer more than 160 macaques to Born Free USA, a nonprofit that runs a large primate sanctuary in Texas.
—Ed Silverman, STAT, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for monkeys
Noun
-
Through years of advocating for children, the princess—and mother of Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—has come to understand that some of society’s most serious problems, from addictions to poor mental health, have their roots in the first five years of an individual’s life.—
Roberta Mercuri,
Vanity Fair,
6 May 2026
-
Not good due to all the fires, empty reservoir, crime, high taxes, homeless and drug addictions, etc.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Ash devils can hurl hot embers in all directions and spark new fires, but this one harmlessly dissipated without spreading the blaze further.—
Blanca Begert,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2026
-
Other propaganda compared Native people to buffalo, cats, dogs, and devils.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But if getting Andy back in the Runway fold feels a lot like getting her into it in the first film, that feeling will only persist, as the sequel apes the original feature nearly beat for beat, with some small swaps here and there.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
29 Apr. 2026
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More importantly, this origin story of a movie and a movement apes the joie de moviemaking and the jazzy looseness of the original to an absolutely amazing degree, replicating an off-the-cuff feeling that’s more than a second-hand buzz.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Cala Gaetano is the most breathtaking of all, both in awe and anxiety, where slippery steps without any barriers bring you to a secluded cove speckled with urchins.—
Kristina Kasparian,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
On a party count, that is 4-3 for the Dems and the one-for-you, one-for-me bipartisan staffing copies the Board of Elections.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Every time the virus copies itself inside a cell, its genetic material mutates.—
Kyle B. Enfield,
The Conversation,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Of all the former rascals, Symoné has enjoyed the longest and most successful career in entertainment.—
Andrew Walsh,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Jan. 2026
-
In the years since 2004’s Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, Penn’s carved out a niche embodying big-talking, attention-grabbing rascals who say inappropriate things, then shrug their way through the consequences.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Ben Hania’s film before that, 2020’s Oscar-nominated The Man Who Sold His Skin, parodies the art world’s fetishization of refugees.—
Alexander Durie,
Time,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Newsom has been trying to raise his national profile, adopting a combative style that parodies Trump’s social media strategy with similar all-caps posts, memes and merchandise.—
Adriana Gomez Licon,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Monkeys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkeys. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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