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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hijinks
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
Lander announced that due to technical difficulties and illness, the audience would have to wait a few days to see what shenanigans Barb got up to, and whether this birth would help her and her son, Jennifer’s brother John, smooth over their rocky relationship.
—
Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 4 May 2025
Marvel’s last stinger, the one that played after Captain America: Brave New World, involved people standing around and speculating about what team-building and multiversal shenanigans might occur before the next big crossover, Avengers: Doomsday.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 2 May 2025
Driving the news: The season of bear shenanigans is underway, with human run-ins rising.
—Alayna Alvarez, Axios, 14 Apr. 2025
Some offbeat but necessary casting shenanigans here: Jimmy Smits played Bail Organa in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith (which is, like it or not, where a lot of the infrastructure for Andor and Rogue One came from).
—Jesse Hassenger, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shenanigan
Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 4 May 2025
Marvel’s last stinger, the one that played after Captain America: Brave New World, involved people standing around and speculating about what team-building and multiversal shenanigans might occur before the next big crossover, Avengers: Doomsday.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 2 May 2025
Driving the news: The season of bear shenanigans is underway, with human run-ins rising.
—Alayna Alvarez, Axios, 14 Apr. 2025
Some offbeat but necessary casting shenanigans here: Jimmy Smits played Bail Organa in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith (which is, like it or not, where a lot of the infrastructure for Andor and Rogue One came from).
—Jesse Hassenger, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shenanigan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shenanigan
Noun
-
As a result, she was charged with one count of criminal mischief.—
Natalia Jaramillo,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 May 2025
-
In New Jersey, a 15-year-old Belleville High School student was charged with third-degree arson and criminal mischief after allegedly setting a Chromebook on fire, NJ.com reported.—
Minyvonne Burke,
NBC news,
9 May 2025
Noun
-
Important claims, like whether or not the Los Angeles wildfires were merely a ruse to hide pedophiles.—
Matt Fleming,
Oc Register,
18 May 2025
-
But a Southern California man and his co-conspirators devised an elaborate ruse — involving a boatload of fake orders and manipulation of the company’s software — that netted them millions, prosecutors say.—
Kaitlyn Huamani,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2025
Noun
-
When an instance of misconduct is alleged and the investigation begins to make some headway, the police or corrections officer might quit or retire.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
24 May 2025
-
Baldwin also faced an involuntary manslaughter charge in connection with Hutchins’ death, but a judge dismissed the case in the middle of trial last summer due to prosecutorial misconduct and evidence suppression.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
24 May 2025
Noun
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That includes knowing the scheme in the run game, being violent at the point of attack.—
Dan Wiederer,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2025
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The scheme was investigated by several federal agencies, including the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
Another aspect to note is that the AI didn’t ridicule me or otherwise play any tomfoolery about my need for assistance.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2025
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Would that all life could be filled with such tomfoolery.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
9 May 2025
Noun
-
The secret trick of reconciliation is that Congress gets a chance to add tweaks to the budget — to reconcile it — twice every federal fiscal year.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
30 May 2025
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The trick was to keep them distant and yet connected, and find ways to not make the audience wait to see their chemistry, because the John Corbett and Sarah Jessica Parker chemistry is undeniable and a gift.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
29 May 2025
Noun
-
Certainly, an irreverent portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte is warranted, but at two and a half hours of alternating brutality and buffoonery, this movie really tries one’s patience.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
9 Mar. 2024
-
His is a sort of erudite buffoonery that consistently tap-dances between clever, self-aware, and patently stupid.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The action anime feature for everyone who couldn’t get enough of the horseplay in The Two Towers has finally cantered onto Max.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
1 Mar. 2025
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Mike Vrabel’s back And the horseplay is going to stop, apparently.—
Josh Kendall,
The Athletic,
11 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shenanigan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shenanigan. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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