1
as in hijinks
usually monkeyshines plural
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
hockey players who are known for their monkeyshines on and off the ice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in trick
usually monkeyshines plural
a playful or mischievous act intended as a joke
on the alert for paleontological monkeyshines ever since the unmasking of Piltdown man
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for monkeyshine
Noun
-
So the real trick was creating a hue with blendability that people were willing to reapply.—
Megan McIntyre,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025 -
The Luray Caverns feel almost magical—complete with musical instruments built into the walls, mirror-like lakes that play tricks on your eyes, and even a wishing well tucked into the underground pathways.—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Their relationship, tentative, intimate, and defiant, lingers long after the satirical skewering of male buffoonery has faded.—
Leila Latif,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
-
He’s been tinkering with this messaging on and off since damn near the start of the century, when his criticism of the genre shifted from the power-holding executives (both white and Black) of the music industry who were profiting off buffoonery, a la Bamboozled, to rap music itself.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Notably, numerous high-profile cable news has-beens have legitimized Owens' outrageous laundering of a left-wing political assassination into an anti-Semitic caper.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Redford and Newman play grifters in 1936 Chicago who fleece Robert Shaw’s rich mobster in this memorable caper that went on to win best picture.—
Lindsey Bahr,
Mercury News,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Butch Baker, who was Henry County sheriff until 2014, recalled an incident in which Bertram was accused of inappropriate horseplay at the community corrections office.—
Tony Cook,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
-
The action anime feature for everyone who couldn’t get enough of the horseplay in The Two Towers has finally cantered onto Max.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
1 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The escapades of the very hot bi/pansexuals Gael (Tommy Martinez) and Malika (Zuri Adele), who is also polyamorous, really keep the lifeblood of the show circulating.—
Catherine Mhloyi,
Them.,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The origins of Godzilla’s name may remain a mystery, but there are no secrets related to its film escapades.—
Michael Taube,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park has some monkey business going on: updates to its primate and other animal habitats, educational buildings and pathways.—
Lillian Ashworth,
Oc Register,
18 July 2025
-
Do a direct export from the original system—no monkey business.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 July 2025
Noun
-
With over 300 episodes to shoot, there was time for some practical jokes.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Sep. 2025
-
This is all some practical joke that’s being played on me.—
Michael Nied,
People.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
As for Abdul-Mateen, the clownery will resume for him on Broadway.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2022
-
Tirhakah Love is a senior writer at New York Magazine and the host of the new evening newsletter Dinner Party, a daily email that touches on all things entertainment — that means film, television, music, tech, and gaming — plus politics and corporate clownery.—
Vulture,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2022
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Monkeyshine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkeyshine. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share