1
as in to horse around
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior
quit fooling around on the jungle gym, or you'll get hurt
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2
as in to play
to spend time in aimless activity
we fooled around outdoors for a while, then went in to get some work done
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Recent Examples of fool around
What begins as an overstayed welcome between two new lovers — awkwardly fooling around in the path of a metaphysical apocalypse — blooms into a surreal, ever-scarier, and ever-changing look at the emotion of transhumanism.
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Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2024
Having pretty well saturated the drone enthusiast market, from professional filmmakers to hobbyists who just likes to fool around with geeky gadgets, DJI are now going after a much bigger and potentially more profitable market.
—David Hambling, Forbes, 6 Sep. 2024
Down in the valley, Muriel skips work to fool around with her neighbor Sandra (Sasha Calle), a woman living openly as a lesbian despite the stigma.
—Jourdain Searles, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Of course, sometimes flirting or fooling around leads to more serious relationships.
—Katie Jackson, Outside Online, 14 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fool around 
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2024
Having pretty well saturated the drone enthusiast market, from professional filmmakers to hobbyists who just likes to fool around with geeky gadgets, DJI are now going after a much bigger and potentially more profitable market.
—David Hambling, Forbes, 6 Sep. 2024
Down in the valley, Muriel skips work to fool around with her neighbor Sandra (Sasha Calle), a woman living openly as a lesbian despite the stigma.
—Jourdain Searles, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Of course, sometimes flirting or fooling around leads to more serious relationships.
—Katie Jackson, Outside Online, 14 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fool around
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fool around
Verb
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After five teenage boys are shown horsing around on a Malibu beach for a few seconds, the shot dissolves into Liam’s perfect coif, his unbuttoned shirt, his disarming smile.Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
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The Game of Thrones alum, 28, was seen horsing around with the British aristocrat at a polo match at his family's estate in West Sussex, England on Saturday, June 29.Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 3 July 2024
Verb
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In an earlier episode, the family’s patriarch, John Dutton, played by Kevin Costner, was murdered.Lisa Respers France, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024
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Vincent Trocheck stressed the need to play tighter and have short memories on the ice.Peter Baugh, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
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President-elect Trump's vow to deport millions of undocumented immigrants could eliminate workers from U.S. industries already projected to face shortages and cut up to 6.8% of the national gross domestic profit.April Rubin, Axios, 19 Nov. 2024
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Advertisement His star turn started in the first quarter, as Lemon caught a kickoff at the goal line, cut up field and blew the game open.Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2024
Verb
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One of them might have been a triangular crop top showing off my midriff and some hot pants.Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 13 Dec. 2024
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Three days later, a handful of fans gathered in Elysian Park for a Banda lookalike contest, with seven contestants showing off their resemblance to the bespectacled and heavily tatted Dodgers reliever, who emerged as something of a cult hero this season.Mike DiGiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
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While messing around in camp, the reactive lighting mode was annoying to me.Ashley Thess, Outdoor Life, 14 Nov. 2024
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Kittle didn’t mess around on National Tight Ends Day, catching 6 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown.Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Most asteroids hang about in the Mars to Jupiter region, and the ones near Earth obviously hang about a bit closer.Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 2 Oct. 2024
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The big picture: The nine-block shopping district got its own Art Deco-style sign on Monday, which now hangs about 25 feet in the air over Cary Street by Burtons Grill & Bar.Sabrina Moreno, Axios, 1 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Exactly zero of the acts up for Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song, or Best Rock Album are first-time nominees.Justin Curto, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
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Service animals, emotional support animals, acting up.Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 20 Mar. 2024
Verb
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Given Heretic’s clear joy in kicking around ideas, this is frustrating.Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
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The board kicked around ideas about how to reclaim the money, which has been at the center of a raging controversy since the giveaway became public ten days ago, but never settled on a strategy.Stephen Hudak, Orlando Sentinel, 20 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near fool around
Cite this Entry
“Fool around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fool%20around. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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