1
as in mischief
playful, reckless behavior that is not intended to cause serious harm
students engaging in youthful shenanigans on the last day of school
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tomfoolery
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
an act of vandalism that went way beyond the usual shenanigans at summer camp
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of shenanigans
But what shenanigans will Kitty and friends get into for their first movie in America?
—
Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 18 May 2026
At first, Tyson couldn't recall any shenanigans, but Von's team had done its deep research on Iron Mike and knew there was a Brad Pitt connection.
—Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
Another issue involves the fictional movie being shot, which is called Desert and seems to be about the perils of Spanish colonialism, yet remains disconnected to all the shenanigans going on behind the scenes.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026
What had started as typical college-age shenanigans had morphed into regularly overindulging at professional happy hours, and eventually into an all-day urge to drink.
—Lev Facher, STAT, 14 May 2026
There are easy dots to connect between Pierzynski and Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing, two men who don’t have much of a relationship but now occupy a similar space as catchers who have developed something of a reputation for shenanigans.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 8 May 2026
Yes, there's action, romance, and the typical MCU superhero shenanigans every fan expects, but the film has as much soul and curiosity about its characters and world as your average A24 production.
—Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 6 May 2026
But there is also a world of more shadowy techniques – a whole history of hacking shenanigans going back nearly a century.
—Willa Rubin, NPR, 1 May 2026
Fans sitting in this section get a front-row seat to Gritty’s infamous skits and silly shenanigans throughout the game.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 18 May 2026
At first, Tyson couldn't recall any shenanigans, but Von's team had done its deep research on Iron Mike and knew there was a Brad Pitt connection.
—Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
Another issue involves the fictional movie being shot, which is called Desert and seems to be about the perils of Spanish colonialism, yet remains disconnected to all the shenanigans going on behind the scenes.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026
What had started as typical college-age shenanigans had morphed into regularly overindulging at professional happy hours, and eventually into an all-day urge to drink.
—Lev Facher, STAT, 14 May 2026
There are easy dots to connect between Pierzynski and Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing, two men who don’t have much of a relationship but now occupy a similar space as catchers who have developed something of a reputation for shenanigans.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 8 May 2026
Yes, there's action, romance, and the typical MCU superhero shenanigans every fan expects, but the film has as much soul and curiosity about its characters and world as your average A24 production.
—Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 6 May 2026
But there is also a world of more shadowy techniques – a whole history of hacking shenanigans going back nearly a century.
—Willa Rubin, NPR, 1 May 2026
Fans sitting in this section get a front-row seat to Gritty’s infamous skits and silly shenanigans throughout the game.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shenanigans
Noun
-
Astronomers have dubbed the ancient galaxy Loki, after the Norse god of mischief.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
23 May 2026
-
Mom was hit with a felony charge of criminal mischief and a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
The latest tomfoolery consisted of a posting on Twitter/X last week that provided a picture of a genuine Monet painting, and the picture was labeled as supposedly being AI-generated.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
Warm temperatures should keep the snow from causing too much traffic tomfoolery on Tuesday, but by the evening, roads are likely to turn slick, Danielson said.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
The timeline of the Andrew scandal has been heavily discussed, even before the disgraced former prince was arrested for suspicion of misconduct in public office.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
17 May 2026
-
In December, Hill pleaded guilty to state charges of misconduct, perjury and obstruction of justice and was put on probation.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Despite that underlying tension, kids play on the street outside while the large family has a dynamic like any other — noisily squabbling, joking, or in the case of the matriarchal grandmother, Mariam (Hiam Abbass), preparing a meal in a kitchen plagued by constant utility outages.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
-
The president has long bristled at the otherwise customary joking at his expense by celebrity comedians.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The show, with its interest in corporate buffoonery, doesn’t quite manage to hand-wave away the queasy implications.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Receivers have cratered seasons with me-over-we buffoonery.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The clowning might be a little too effortful.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
-
As the race unfolds in real time, there’s clowning, collisions, sabotage, surprises, comedy, chaos and more.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
After France’s 4-3 victory against Argentina at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, horseplay between the players at the team hotel culminated in back-up centre-back Adil Rami setting off a fire extinguisher in the early hours of the morning.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
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Once, before the stabbing, Malik chased Yahkeim with a knife during horseplay.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
5 May 2026
Noun
-
The boys challenge each other to throw heavy objects, which leads to intense roughhousing.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The actor shared rare photos of the teen with his younger siblings, getting it in at the gym, hiking, and roughhousing.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shenanigans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shenanigans. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
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