1
as in addiction
a physiological need for certain drugs
I've got this monkey on my back, and going to detox is the only way to get it off
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in devil
an appealingly mischievous person
come back here, you little monkey!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of monkey
Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Drinky Crow is an adorable little bird who is also suicidally depressed and a raging alcoholic, living with his drunk Irish monkey buddy Uncle Gabby in a 19th-century nautical pastiche.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
Valerie Demicheva and Flora Chang, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 July 2021
But this experiment isn't about monkeying around—this a real security and safety hazard, the researchers point out in a new paper.
—Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, 31 Jan. 2020
See All Example Sentences for monkey
Noun
The rally monkey was all the rage.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Drinky Crow is an adorable little bird who is also suicidally depressed and a raging alcoholic, living with his drunk Irish monkey buddy Uncle Gabby in a 19th-century nautical pastiche.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
Verb
With supply running low toward the end of most evenings, savvy bun fanatics don’t monkey around, routinely calling ahead to request an extra skillet of rolls set aside just for them.
—Valerie Demicheva and Flora Chang, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 July 2021
But this experiment isn't about monkeying around—this a real security and safety hazard, the researchers point out in a new paper.
—Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, 31 Jan. 2020
See All Example Sentences for monkey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for monkey
Noun
-
For one, prediction markets affect people similarly from a behavioral standpoint, according to gambling addiction researchers and advocacy groups such as the National Council on Problem Gambling.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Written by Mescudi, Doe explores themes of addiction and survival through the lens of a man living on the streets of Hollywood who, over the course of 24 hours, drifts through a series of encounters that pull him in and out of the cycles of his compulsion.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Is chocolate devil’s food cake with ganache your favorite birthday cake?—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Its theme — that the rich are different, and in not-good ways — meant she’d be forced into a ritualistic game of hide-and-seek, running for her life from her devil-worshipping, masters-of-the-world in-laws.—
Michael Ordoña,
San Francisco Chronicle,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Nicholson's fireworks would be subsequently aped, and amped up to over-the-top proportions, by other actors and by the future Batman villain himself.—
Devan Coggan,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
-
The re-enactments, which include bomb-making and transportation, as well as the three-pronged plan to escape, have a flavor that calls to mind ’70s heist and spy films, accompanied by Michael James Lee’s jaunty, genre-aping score.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Decentralized is about reducing dependence on single points of failure or control, and prioritizing systems that don’t require everyone to trust one operator, one platform, or one bottleneck.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In the Sumy region, where forests and ravines dominate, Ukrainian operators report greater dependence on such systems against Russian positions protected by netting and electronic warfare.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Right now, the rascal in him slumbers, briefly glimpsed now and again behind dark shades.—
Emma Madden,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Of all the former rascals, Symoné has enjoyed the longest and most successful career in entertainment.—
Andrew Walsh,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Over time, Norris also became a web phenomenon, the subject of memes and jokes that parodied his image of invincibility.—
Valentina Colosimo,
Vanity Fair,
20 Mar. 2026
-
And of course Burrs, whom Donica plays with titanic, Sweeney-esque feeling and force of baritone, is all the more self-hating and compromised, having made a career parodying himself.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This could provide some indication of when AI models were essentially going rogue.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
-
In the movie, which was progressive for its time, the trans character attempts suicide after being subjected to emotional and physical abuse by the manipulative Sonny, who tries to make amends by going rogue and stealing money for their surgery.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Scenic designer Matthew Herman created a rectangular center stage with LED panel lighting by Sammy Webster that mimics the flourescent office lights of the past but explodes with color in a surprise dancing-on-the-tables scene.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
-
In addition to structural problems, the sign will also be relit, possibly with LED lights designed to mimic the original neon.—
R. Christian Smith,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Monkey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkey. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
