1
as in to clown (around)
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior
stop monkeying around in the house or you'll break something
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to goof (around)
to spend time in aimless activity
would rather just monkey around instead of doing work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for monkey (around)
Verb
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Four people are facing charges in Louisiana for horsing around in a small-town Walmart last week. Video that was posted on TikTok and went viral on social media showed three men and a teenage boy riding horses through the business in Baker, Louisiana.—
Elizabeth Pritchett,
FOXNews.com,
16 Apr. 2025 -
Quit horsing around — the Clydesdales are back!—
Breanne L. Heldman,
People.com,
10 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Both Earps and Hampton have played a very similar number of minutes and faced a very similar number of shots, but Earps’ shot-stopping has not been as strong, conceding 1.6 goals more than expected, based on the quality of shots faced.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
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Baty plays second base on days when Vientos starts at the hot corner, and Vientos gets DH days to get Baty at third.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
28 May 2025
Verb
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As Molly and Guy start to fool around, things get hot and heavy, but Ernie has a job to do.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2025
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As Molly and Guy start to fool around, things get hot and heavy, but Ernie has a job to do.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Congress is currently debating a federal budget plan that could cut up to $1 billion from the National Park Service.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
22 May 2025
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Original price: $499.99 (Amazon) The Greenworks 21-inch lawn mower runs on batteries, and can cut up to half an acre on a full charge.—
Christopher Murray,
FOXNews.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The pants have a supportive high-waist design, plus the tapered legs will show off sneakers, sandals, and more summer shoes.—
Nicol Natale,
People.com,
26 May 2025
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Google also recently showed off Google Beam—a way to convert people in video calls to appear more 3D and lifelike for a more personal touch.—
Luke Larsen,
Wired News,
25 May 2025
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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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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Cite this Entry
“Monkey (around).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkey%20%28around%29. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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