1
as in devilment
playful, reckless behavior that is not intended to cause serious harm
the children claimed that setting off a firecracker was harmless mischief, but they got a lecture anyway
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in playfulness
a natural disposition for playful behavior
your mother was full of mischief as a child, believe it or not
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in monkey
an appealingly mischievous person
he's a little mischief who means no harm
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of mischief
The sequel’s visual design, too, is deeper and subtler than the original’s, and Burton’s panoply of visual tricks has grown in tandem with his sense of mischief.
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Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2024
And was the remark made innocently or with mischief in mind?
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2024
While Danny wrestles with isolation and the emotional fallout of his parents’ divorce, Sam worries that her twin sister Charlie, who is on a mission to cause mischief, will ruin her chances of getting presents from Santa.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Oct. 2024
From ‘The Lord of the Rings’ to ‘Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves,’ these films have mythical monsters, spell-binding adventure and magical mischief
Comments
Harry Potter is arguably one of the most beloved fantasy franchises of all time.
—Yasmeen Hamadeh, People.com, 29 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mischief 
Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2024
And was the remark made innocently or with mischief in mind?
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2024
While Danny wrestles with isolation and the emotional fallout of his parents’ divorce, Sam worries that her twin sister Charlie, who is on a mission to cause mischief, will ruin her chances of getting presents from Santa.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Oct. 2024
From ‘The Lord of the Rings’ to ‘Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves,’ these films have mythical monsters, spell-binding adventure and magical mischief
Comments
Harry Potter is arguably one of the most beloved fantasy franchises of all time.
—Yasmeen Hamadeh, People.com, 29 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mischief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mischief
Noun
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Traffic is minimal; instead, monkeys, iguanas, and the occasional jaguar have free reign.Denny Lee, Travel + Leisure, 2 Nov. 2024
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Geda the Chinese monkey, who lives in Shiyanhu Ecological Tourism Park, successfully predicted that Trump would win the 2016 presidential election against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The devil facial tumor disease (DFTD) has been eating away at the population of Tasmanian devils and re-introducing the thylacine might not do the devil any favors.Scott Travers, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
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He’s figured out what his father tried to tell him the hard way: Sometimes, a mere glance at a devil’s bargain is enough to strike a signature and a seal.Andy Andersen, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Bre works hard to convince us that she’s conflicted over what to do with this information and is sympathetic to Chelsea’s plight, but Amanda Lynn radiates a wickedness that undercuts however decent Bre is trying to be here.Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2024
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When not sparring with the resolute Tell, Gessler is oft accompanied by snooty henchmen and a rebellious princess (Emily Beecham), giving him plenty of outlets to flex his wickedness.J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 11 Sep. 2024
Noun
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That’s enough devilry to explain at least much of Haiti’s challenges without resorting to tales of satanic influence.Matthew Brown, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2024
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Shyamalan, to be fair, has lost none of his compositional devilry; notice his bisecting of the screen with clean vertical lines—the trunk of a tree, or the edge of a shower curtain, behind which somebody may or may not lurk.Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2023
Noun
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That’s flimflam, that’s roguery.Helen Shaw, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2022
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America, this is a level of pure double-dealing, roguery, and downright villainy ne’er witnessed on this television program.Ali Barthwell, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2021
Thesaurus Entries Near mischief
Cite this Entry
“Mischief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mischief. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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