1
as in mischief
usually shenanigans plural
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in joking
usually shenanigans plural
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
an act of vandalism that went way beyond the usual shenanigans at summer camp
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in ruse
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
the street-corner huckster of pirated DVDs had all sorts of shenanigans to keep the cops off of his tail
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shenanigan
In ‘Kansas City,’ Altman shot an entire concert in this club and then edited it into the flow of the film, where the musicians are providing a Greek chorus to all the shenanigans that are going on with the white characters.
—
Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Mar. 2026
And that dude was always up to some weird shenanigans.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
That’s the consensus opinion of fans and participants alike to the promotional shenanigans ahead of this weekend’s Fanatics Flag Football Classic at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles and next month’s WWE WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
The incident comes as authorities throughout the Sunshine State are cracking down on spring break shenanigans as college students descend on beaches up and down the coast.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shenanigan
Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Mar. 2026
And that dude was always up to some weird shenanigans.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
That’s the consensus opinion of fans and participants alike to the promotional shenanigans ahead of this weekend’s Fanatics Flag Football Classic at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles and next month’s WWE WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
The incident comes as authorities throughout the Sunshine State are cracking down on spring break shenanigans as college students descend on beaches up and down the coast.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shenanigan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shenanigan
Noun
-
The La Costa Canyon High School Theatre Department invites the community to an evening of laughter, music, and medieval mischief with this year’s spring musical Monty Python’s Spamalot.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
-
His old partner in mischief Charles Steinmuller floated somewhere between exciting and scary.—
Eric Boodman,
Vulture,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There was none of the usual laughing and joking.—
Mario Cortegana,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Lindsay says that Jesse was serious about asking, but that the make-out would be a joking make-out.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The play begins in the mode of a Black sitcom, but this is an elaborate ruse for a theatrical dissection of the subjects of race, representation, spectatorship and control.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Only when she is betrayed by a servant do the suitors discover the ruse.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The costs of decades of misconduct by Chicago police have grown enormous as the city settles lawsuit after lawsuit using expensive private counsel to handle most of the work.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
-
And of course, Andrew being stripped of his titles and evicted from Royal Lodge, only to then be arrested for suspicion of misconduct in public office.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Jazz are 15-35, which puts them at the sixth pick if zero lottery-ball tomfoolery happens.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
But enough of all that tomfoolery, because there is one person on the beach who knows exactly what is about to happen!—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Research also suggests that state and federal gas taxes are just one component of a complex pricing scheme that includes the global price of oil and other factors, the group said.—
Matthew Daly,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Court records in both the federal criminal case and Bonta’s civil suit alleged the scam began as early as 2014 and ended in August 2023, shortly after Voice of San Diego first exposed the scheme publicly in a series of stories.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The only trick now is for the league to get a team to the final Monday night of the season and actually cut down the nets.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Eating a balanced diet should do the trick for the majority.—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
27 Mar. 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
Cite this Entry
“Shenanigan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shenanigan. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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