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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fool around
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
What begins as an overstayed welcome between two new lovers — awkwardly fooling around in the path of a metaphysical apocalypse — blooms into a surreal, ever-scarier, and ever-changing look at the emotion of transhumanism.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fool around
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
What begins as an overstayed welcome between two new lovers — awkwardly fooling around in the path of a metaphysical apocalypse — blooms into a surreal, ever-scarier, and ever-changing look at the emotion of transhumanism.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 10 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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Players who for years were starved for the chance to play meaningful games on behalf of their country now would be able to face-off for international bragging rights.—
Greg Rosenstein,
NBC News,
21 Feb. 2025
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Graduate transfer Kaitlyn Chen was one of the Huskies’ most efficient scorers shooting 6-for-7 for 15 points, and sixth-year senior Aubrey Griffin also added 15 for her most productive performance since returning to play from an ACL tear on Jan. 19.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
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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
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In the frying process, those odd crumbles can be cut up in a casual manner with a spatula.—
Cathy Thomas,
Orange County Register,
10 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The Rays’ temporary home (Steinbrenner Field) is ready to show off.—
Ken Rosenthal,
The Athletic,
17 Feb. 2025
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Along with an eye-catching diamond necklace and stud earrings by Tiffany & Co., Gomez also took the opportunity to show off her dazzling marquise engagement ring from Benny Blanco.—
Catherine Santino,
People.com,
16 Feb. 2025
Verb
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So, in America, ridiculously, much value is attached to jobs that give you the privilege of being messed around by UnitedHealthcare and its competitors.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
17 Dec. 2024
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Grab this best-selling handheld vacuum from Black and Decker to tackle crumbs, dust, and more quick messes around the house.—
Isabel Garcia,
People.com,
1 Jan. 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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Allergies acting up: Homeowners who are sensitive to dust, pollen, or animal hair may notice their allergies acting up before anything else.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
18 Jan. 2025
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As such, when a supporting character acts up, Dreux or Alyssa can rib them, but not too viciously.—
Fred Topel,
Deadline,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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On a 2-on-1 entry into the offensive zone, McDavid nimbly handled the kick around the sliding defenseman and then fired a sharp-angle shot from tight and roofed it.—
Ryan Canfield,
Fox News,
16 Jan. 2025
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Mystical foxes, the torches of gentle giants, spirits kicking around a walrus skull—humans have interpreted the northern lights in many ways over time.—
Bailey Berg,
AFAR Media,
30 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Fool around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fool%20around. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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