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
No drama, no shenanigans, just Brat T-shirts and strong knowledge of the choreo.
Baltimore (9/26)
Baltimore gave us the platonic ideal of Apple girls doing the Apple dance: well performed, a little personality, no drama.
—
Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 10 June 2025
The matching shrug pose wasn’t the last of James and Fallon’s silly shenanigans during the show.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 24 June 2025
From more superhero shenanigans in Gen V Season 2, to the continuation of epic fantasy action in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3, these series are all a must-watch.
—Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025
Almost ten years after Jeb’s temporal shenanigans, Pete Buttigieg ...
—Jack Butler, National Review, 8 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for shenanigan
Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 10 June 2025
The matching shrug pose wasn’t the last of James and Fallon’s silly shenanigans during the show.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 24 June 2025
From more superhero shenanigans in Gen V Season 2, to the continuation of epic fantasy action in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3, these series are all a must-watch.
—Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025
Almost ten years after Jeb’s temporal shenanigans, Pete Buttigieg ...
—Jack Butler, National Review, 8 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for shenanigan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shenanigan
Noun
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Prior to that, Price was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, criminal mischief, and disorderly conduct following an argument in which Price reportedly locked Coleman out of their home and began trashing his belongings.—
Ryan Coleman Published,
EW.com,
8 July 2025
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Klein was charged with second-degree criminal mischief and was expected to appear Monday in Bridgeport Superior Court.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
7 July 2025
Noun
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The scammers could also use your account to scam others out of money with the same verification ruse for passengers and drivers.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
-
The elaborate ruse was likely an effort to steal cryptocurrency, which Lazarus has become known for.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
His last review, which examined misconduct allegations against Russell Brand, only referenced job titles.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
12 July 2025
-
Sorrell exited the company in 2018 amid a probe of allegations of misconduct, and Read, who spent much of this time building new digital operations, became the company’s new leader.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
Two sources told Reuters he was suspected of being involved in a scheme to embezzle millions of dollars earmarked for border defenses.—
Clare Sebastian,
CNN Money,
11 July 2025
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In the film, Superman comes under suspicion by the public and the government over his Kryptonian heritage thanks to a scheme by tech billionaire Luthor to push Superman out of the way of his grand plans to expand his criminal enterprise worldwide.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
Idris Elba is the British prime minister (and ex-soldier) who has no time for his tomfoolery.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
12 July 2025
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Sadly, the Academy has released no rules preventing the tomfoolery that led to two leading actors winning the Supporting categories this year.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Truth is, finding universal tips and tricks for keeping your cortisol levels stable first thing in the morning and when leaving the house is tough.—
Ana Morales,
Vogue,
5 July 2025
-
One trick to capture slugs is to lay a board down next to a row crop and check the underside in the morning to gather the slugs.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 July 2025
Noun
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The other person who spoke in South Carolina, Tim Walz, is a special mixture of extreme buffoonery and a mean spirit, which is a toxic brew.—
Jenny Goldsberry,
The Washington Examiner,
1 June 2025
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Certainly hope none of you will be complicit in this buffoonery.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
23 May 2025
Noun
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Butch Baker, who was Henry County sheriff until 2014, recalled an incident in which Bertram was accused of inappropriate horseplay at the community corrections office.—
Tony Cook,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Shenanigan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shenanigan. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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