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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of fool around
While Mark and Helly were fooling around, Helly wasn’t fulfilling her promise to go get the directions Irving left tucked behind Dylan’s motivational poster.
—
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 21 Feb. 2025
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
Players were in a dorm room fooling around with a gun.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024
Why fool around with a convention that everyone understood and practiced?
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 7 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fool around
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 21 Feb. 2025
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
Players were in a dorm room fooling around with a gun.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024
Why fool around with a convention that everyone understood and practiced?
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 7 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fool around
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fool around
Verb
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Four people are facing charges in Louisiana for horsing around in a small-town Walmart last week. Video that was posted on TikTok and went viral on social media showed three men and a teenage boy riding horses through the business in Baker, Louisiana.—
Elizabeth Pritchett,
FOXNews.com,
16 Apr. 2025
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Quit horsing around — the Clydesdales are back!—
Breanne L. Heldman,
People.com,
10 Feb. 2025
Verb
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While physicians don’t have a definitive answer as to why heart failure typically causes cognitive decline, the following factors may play a role: Changes to the heart.—
Kaitlin Sullivan,
Health,
16 May 2025
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In his new Max series premiering Thursday, Duster, Holloway plays an Arizona getaway driver in the early 1970s.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2025
Verb
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Congress is currently debating a federal budget plan that could cut up to $1 billion from the National Park Service.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
22 May 2025
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Original price: $499.99 (Amazon) The Greenworks 21-inch lawn mower runs on batteries, and can cut up to half an acre on a full charge.—
Christopher Murray,
FOXNews.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Designed by Jennifer Horev, a new market display will show off the company’s growing line of products, including protein bars, snacks, apparel, homeware and a signature scent.—
Connie Ogle,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2025
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The teaser, which can be seen below, shows off the series’ all-star cast, which includes: Kim Kardashian, Naomi Watts, Niecy Nash-Betts, Teyana Taylor, and Matthew Noszka, with Sarah Paulson and Glenn Close.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
13 May 2025
Verb
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Our season got canceled, obviously, and just had some free time to kind of mess around and enjoy the game again and not really worry about the stress of professional baseball.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 May 2025
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That means companies like his will need to be prepared to take some responsibility when agents cause harm—even when a kid messing around with an agent might be to blame.—
Paresh Dave,
Wired News,
22 May 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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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
Verb
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For the first time, Tindall had to act up without his partner over these past two weeks, with Graeme Jones, his fellow assistant, deputising alongside him.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
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Is his palm injury acting up again, or the pressure to join the elite company of Jack Nicklaus, who won 3 times at The PLAYERS Championship?—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
16 Mar. 2025
Verb
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While Goff’s impact on Frontierland is well documented — and Hahn notes, perhaps, an influence from Knott’s Berry Farm’s Ghost Town in these images — it’s also believed some of these designs were kicked around as a potential Main Street, U.S.A., concept.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2025
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Once down there, I was getting stood on, kicked around.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
9 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fool around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fool%20around. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
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