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
Bigger, bolder personalities may shine as jokers, always fooling around, or as storytellers, bringing imagination to life.
—
Julianna Bragg, CNN, 23 Feb. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for fool around
Julianna Bragg, CNN, 23 Feb. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for fool around
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fool around
Verb
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Running or horsing around with sparklers can also cause injuries and burns when users trip and fall.—
Justin Laube,
EverydayHealth.com,
2 July 2025
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Umberto Rispoli squeezed between horses around the top of the stretch and then rode Journalism to a tremendous rally.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
24 May 2025
Verb
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Malakian explains the role Ozzfest played in elevating System of a Down’s profile.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
26 July 2025
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The Royals will play a split doubleheader against the Guardians on Saturday afternoon.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
26 July 2025
Verb
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And in order to maintain a nutritious balance to each of these meals, consider adding cut up vegetables (like celery or carrots) or fruit (strawberries or blueberries are easy options) to the plate.—
Stephanie Ganz,
Parents,
15 July 2025
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The information sector, including tech, is a major drag, with job cuts up 27% in the first half compared to the previous year.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
10 July 2025
Verb
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Gone are the days when New Line held their Scare Diego at a Gaslamp multiplex which previewed their upcoming genre movies, or Universal showed off early screenings of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Visit in 2015.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
24 July 2025
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World of Words, the brand-new exhibition at the Arni Magnusson Institute for Icelandic Studies, shows off the origins of Norse mythology to the public for the first time in over a decade.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
24 July 2025
Verb
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Instead, one of them is messing around on the road, causing a driver to swerve, crash and fall off a cliff into the water.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
18 July 2025
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For a while now, Spider-Man fans have been hoping that Tom Holland’s MCU version, after messing around with galactic battles and the multiverse, may go back to his roots.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Verb
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Sizes Tablecloths should hang about 8-16 inches on each side for formal dining and about 3-6 inches on each side for casual dining.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
10 June 2025
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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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Just in time for the big opening, Charlotte’s vertigo starts acting up.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
18 July 2025
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His calf was acting up and a decision was taken last Thursday for him and Inter’s other players with niggling injuries — Yann Bisseck, Piotr Zielinski and Benjamin Pavard — to leave the Club World Cup early.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
2 July 2025
Verb
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Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, while certainly no fan of Hezbollah, also doesn't want to be seen as getting kicked around by the Israelis and has a domestic political incentive to not roll over in negotiations.—
Daniel R. DePetris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 July 2025
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There are a number of great kitchenware deals kicking around, including markdowns on nonstick and stainless steel cookware, air fryers, Keurigs, and immersion blenders.—
Rachel Fletcher,
Architectural Digest,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fool around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fool%20around. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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