as in joking
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
at the beach there was a lot more horsing around on the sand than actual swimming in the water
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in cutting up
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior
the boys were horsing around on the boat when one of them fell overboard
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horsing around
Noun
-
Theo James and Theo James are getting into some serious monkey business.—
Nick Romano,
EW.com,
12 Aug. 2024 -
But there was some monkey business during his very first scene that gave him pause.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
EW.com,
10 May 2024
Noun
-
And yes, there were cases on public roads where the horseplay turned dangerous.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
22 Jan. 2025
-
On my gondola, however, horseplay is not only encouraged, it is required.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside Online,
24 Sep. 2024
Noun
-
There are no gilded gates here, but there is one heck of a party, complete with serenading busts, ballroom dancers, excitable opera singers, drunken buffoonery and portraits locked in an endless duel.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Jan. 2025
-
What’s so special about Britain’s patron wanker of bighearted buffoonery?—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
8 Jan. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Thesaurus Entries Near horsing around
Cite this Entry
“Horsing around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horsing%20around. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share