as in mischievous
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness
told the prankish lad that someone would eventually get hurt if he kept it up
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Recent Examples of prankish
And then there’s Whitehead’s own work: erudite, prankish, experimental in a literal sense—the act of listening is sometimes the experiment.
—
Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
And within the prankish world created by the production, not everyone was in on the joke.
—David Renard, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Fuchs put a prankish spin on the descending octaves that tootle above the reprise of the symphony’s solemn opening.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
While Gandhi begins his pursuit with a largely prankish approach, his film (and the gimmick anchoring it) surprisingly illuminates what some people gain from becoming part of a communal family.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 31 July 2024
The movie alternates between prankish laughs and visual poetry.
—Amy Nicholson, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
And within the prankish world created by the production, not everyone was in on the joke.
—David Renard, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Fuchs put a prankish spin on the descending octaves that tootle above the reprise of the symphony’s solemn opening.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
While Gandhi begins his pursuit with a largely prankish approach, his film (and the gimmick anchoring it) surprisingly illuminates what some people gain from becoming part of a communal family.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 31 July 2024
The movie alternates between prankish laughs and visual poetry.
—Amy Nicholson, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prankish
Adjective
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Creative courage returns as the instinctive Moon conjoins mischievous Mercury in your 5th House of Play, urging you to express whatever stirs within.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Mar. 2026
-
However, his capacity to transform physically yet never lose the beautiful mind and mischievous spirit of genius Stephen Hawking, living with the paralyzing effects of ALS, is what's supremely remarkable about his performance.—
Devan Coggan,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Datebook Picks The wicked original was a black satire with ripping action and a kick-ass lead played with intelligence.—
Michael Ordoña,
San Francisco Chronicle,
18 Mar. 2026
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Like Becky Sharp, the willful, wicked lead of William Makepeace Thackeray’s Vanity Fair, Heidi rolled her eyes at her dutiful counterpart.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The fashion icon made a playful reference to the film while presenting the award for best makeup and hairstyling alongside Hathaway.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
16 Mar. 2026
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The collection was still as sexy as ever though, with the playful print appearing on itty-bitty bikinis, barely-there blouses, and, as seen here in look 3, low-slung trousers.—
Rosie Jarman,
Vogue,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prankish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prankish. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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