1
as in to horse around
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior
quit fooling around on the jungle gym, or you'll get hurt
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to play
to spend time in aimless activity
we fooled around outdoors for a while, then went in to get some work done
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fool around
Oklahoma fooled around with Houston long enough to escape with a narrow 16-12 win.
—
Chase Goodbread, The Tennessean, 18 Sep. 2024
While the siblings have the habit of getting into troubles and to only use their creative skills to fool around, Michael sees in them a real talent.
—Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
Why fool around with a convention that everyone understood and practiced?
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 7 Oct. 2024
Flashbacks peppered throughout the first several episodes reveal that Yasmin caught her father fooling around with a pregnant woman on the boat.
—Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 16 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fool around
Chase Goodbread, The Tennessean, 18 Sep. 2024
While the siblings have the habit of getting into troubles and to only use their creative skills to fool around, Michael sees in them a real talent.
—Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
Why fool around with a convention that everyone understood and practiced?
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 7 Oct. 2024
Flashbacks peppered throughout the first several episodes reveal that Yasmin caught her father fooling around with a pregnant woman on the boat.
—Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 16 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fool around
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fool around
Verb
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Elsewhere, two boys, Frank and Alain, get up to assorted mischief, sneaking onto a baseball diamond at night or horsing around on railroad tracks, although there are hints that Frank’s family may leave Cuba soon.—
Ben Kenigsberg,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2025
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In the video, Payne is shown horsing around with a large outdoor crowd and his bandmates, encouraging the fans to quiet their screaming and then raise the volume all the way back up.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA TODAY,
3 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Also, Foley dealt with concussion symptoms and never played in the NHL.—
Jeremy Rutherford,
The Athletic,
5 Mar. 2025
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Search on for 2-year-old Oregon boy who disappeared while playing in yard In: Measles Alexander Tin Alexander Tin is a digital reporter for CBS News based in the Washington, D.C. bureau.—
Alexander Tin,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Popular freezer hacks include saving Parmesan rinds to deepen the flavor of soups, cutting up loaves of bread for toast, and even storing homemade jam without all the mess of canning.—
Meghan McCarron,
The Atlantic,
18 Feb. 2025
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By sector, technology suffered the worst, with job cuts up 128 percent on-month to 7,488, followed by automotive (123 percent), services (106 percent), retail (96 percent), and media and news (27 percent).—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
13 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Hasbro Introduces Nano-mals, Has Peppa Pig news Hasbro, at Toy Fair, is showing off a new line of electronic, interactive pets called Nano-mals which can be brought to life when their owners play with them.—
Joan Verdon,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
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For example, Lenovo previously showed off the idea of a rollable laptop — one where the screen rolls upwards to increase the size of the display.—
Arjun Kharpal,
CNBC,
2 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Not messing around with different formations and trying to be too smart like GoN was.—
Steve Madeley,
The Athletic,
23 Feb. 2025
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The soap comes in a refillable EZ-Squeeze bottle that is cap-down (similar to Dawn Platinum), which contributes to less mess around the dispenser.—
Lauren Thomann,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Feb. 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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The big picture: The nine-block shopping district got its own Art Deco-style sign on Monday, which now hangs about 25 feet in the air over Cary Street by Burtons Grill & Bar.—
Sabrina Moreno,
Axios,
1 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Her pain can act up suddenly and seemingly comes without rhyme or reason.—
Matthew Futterman,
The Athletic,
7 Mar. 2025
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The hourlong descent appeared to go well until the final approach when the laser navigation system began acting up.—
Marcia Dunn,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2025
Verb
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He was being kicked around by his father on the stage.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2025
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Between the lines: The political landscape this time around is far more complex, with a greater appetite for drastic spending and headcount reductions, as well as a proposal that's kicked around Congress to make NOAA an independent agency.—
Andrew Freedman,
Axios,
5 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fool around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fool%20around. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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