1
as in mischief
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tomfoolery
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
an act of vandalism that went way beyond the usual shenanigans at summer camp
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of shenanigans
Liza simply would not survive without her best friend and roommate Maggie, and Younger was a better show for having an honest outsider’s perspective on Liza’s shenanigans.
—
Maggie Fremont, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Nov. 2025
And there was a lot of shenanigans going on with the commercial side.
—Dan Morrison, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025
Any Boston-versus-Philly shenanigans are liable to end in egged houses without the cover of Halloween night.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
In recent decades the Mexican celebration of Día de los Muertos has been widely embraced across the Bay Area, providing a comforting counterpoint to the thrills, chills and shenanigans of Halloween.
—Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
Read on to learn how this treat inspired such shenanigans.
—Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 19 Oct. 2025
The folks at the unfortunate mercy of such shenanigans, however, might just be Dart and Broncos quarterback Bo Nix.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 17 Oct. 2025
More pastel shenanigans are on the way.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2025
Still, the sleek production design, symphonic score and performances from a killer ensemble act as a life preserver, making the shenanigans at sea a little less choppy.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 9 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shenanigans
Noun
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In this case, the cow’s curiosity (rather than any intent to cause mischief) created a memorable moment for both police and residents alike.—
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In April 2018, Johnson was arrested for criminal mischief.—
Noun
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But enough of all that tomfoolery, because there is one person on the beach who knows exactly what is about to happen!—
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This prevalence, however, has led to widespread quality-control tomfoolery.—
Noun
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Its investigative arm reviews officer misconduct complaints, and is expected to one day replace the police department’s internal affairs division.—
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The panel assessed the LAPD’s handling of discipline, misconduct complaints, excessive force by officers and other issues.—
Noun
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Cole follows up with a joking request to appear on an interlude on the forthcoming project, then asks whether West could send him a care package of clothes — which West agrees to — before exiting the stage.—
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Our poll’s options include a joking reference to Dan Marino.—
Noun
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Death by Lightning, adapted by Mike Makowsky from Candice Millard’s 2011 nonfiction book and directed by Matt Ross, hums with the strength of these performances, particularly Shannon’s quiet composure and Macfadyen mining new depths of buffoonery.—
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Scholz-Carlson’s staging pushes against the deep misogyny of Da Ponte’s libretto by accentuating the buffoonery of the two male romantic leads.—
Noun
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Art, meanwhile, occupies a lonely table in the pizzeria and tries to put on his best clowning act for the two women.—
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As with older clowning traditions, the early American circus clowns were adults performing taboo acts to shock and delight other adults.—
Noun
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There was reportedly no horseplay or swerving during the ride, according to 9News.—
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But what had once been raucous and raunchy mischief, was now benign horseplay.—
Noun
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The actor shared rare photos of the teen with his younger siblings, getting it in at the gym, hiking, and roughhousing.—
Cite this Entry
“Shenanigans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shenanigans. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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