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
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
Having pretty well saturated the drone enthusiast market, from professional filmmakers to hobbyists who just likes to fool around with geeky gadgets, DJI are now going after a much bigger and potentially more profitable market.
—David Hambling, Forbes, 6 Sep. 2024
Down in the valley, Muriel skips work to fool around with her neighbor Sandra (Sasha Calle), a woman living openly as a lesbian despite the stigma.
—Jourdain Searles, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See all Example Sentences for fool around 
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
Having pretty well saturated the drone enthusiast market, from professional filmmakers to hobbyists who just likes to fool around with geeky gadgets, DJI are now going after a much bigger and potentially more profitable market.
—David Hambling, Forbes, 6 Sep. 2024
Down in the valley, Muriel skips work to fool around with her neighbor Sandra (Sasha Calle), a woman living openly as a lesbian despite the stigma.
—Jourdain Searles, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See all Example Sentences for fool around
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fool around
Verb
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The unidentified pre-teen was horsing around and throwing snowballs in Connecticut’s capital city with an 11-year-old friend, local ABC affiliate WTNH reported.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
23 Jan. 2025
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Among racing’s many problems is that there are no dedicated air shipping companies that make moving horses around the country easy.—
John Cherwa,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Dec. 2024
Verb
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One of the greatest of all time to play the position, one of the greatest players of all time.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
The Athletic,
28 Jan. 2025
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Two years ago, the Eagles and the Chiefs faced off in Super Bowl LVII where Kansas City dramatically won on a field goal with eight seconds to play.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN,
27 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Egg cartons can be cut up, painted, decorated, and glued to be turned into animals, flowers, containers, and whatever else children can dream up.—
Rabekah Henderson,
Southern Living,
19 Jan. 2025
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Separately, Terrence Hayes, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, offered condolences to the family of Victor Honey, a homeless veteran whose body was cut up and leased out to medical device companies and the Army without his consent or his relatives’ knowledge.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC News,
27 Dec. 2024
Verb
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In 2000, the company showed off the first Blu-ray prototypes and later revealed its Blu-ray disc recorders in 2006.—
Emma Roth,
The Verge,
24 Jan. 2025
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In 2023, the track was filled with its largest ever motorcycle parade and last year beach buggies assembled to show off on the track.—
Trinity Francis,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The Los Angeles fires are similarly pouring smoke and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, with the local topography—mountains that trap haze in the Los Angeles Basin—keeping the mess around.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
TIME,
10 Jan. 2025
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The mess around Dani Olmo at Barcelona is piling pressure on club president Joan Laporta.—
Phil Hay,
The Athletic,
8 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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All that lightweight foam underfoot can help keep your arches from acting up when your mileage starts to climb on long-distance runs.—
Jennifer Heimlich,
SELF,
27 Nov. 2024
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Urban Meyer is getting increasingly frustrated with him and other players acting up, to the point that the stress and increasingly long work hours are beginning to really affect his physical health.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
24 Sep. 2024
Verb
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The backstory: The idea has been kicking around Trumpworld for several months, as the transition considered structural changes at the White House to prioritize staffing for Trump's priorities.—
Mike Allen,
Axios,
26 Nov. 2024
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But honestly, that title is the last word Trump should be kicking around in public these days.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
19 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near fool around
Cite this Entry
“Fool around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fool%20around. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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