skylarking 1 of 2

noun

as in funning
wildly playful or mischievous behavior the players often engaged in a bit of roughhousing and skylarking before big games

Synonyms & Similar Words

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skylarking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of skylark
1
as in reveling
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior couldn't resist the temptation to skylark as commencement ceremonies came to a close

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in playing
to engage in activity for amusement he spends his time joking and skylarking, but his brother is serious and industrious

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for skylarking
  1. horseplay
  2. reveling
  3. playing
  4. joking
  5. horsing around
  6. frolicking
  7. clowning
  8. cutting up
Noun
  • The device’s user manual also warns it should not be used in response to verbal defiance, or for punishment, torture or horseplay.
    — Ryan J. Foley, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The device's user manual also warns it should not be used in response to verbal defiance, or for punishment, torture or horseplay.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of horseplay
Verb
  • Right in the middle of cheering, reveling masses was MARTA — a connective system of veins that efficiently moved the happy throngs.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Mary Murphy, a young reporter from Queens, had been at Shea that night, reveling with her sisters in the upper loge section along the first-base line.
    — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of reveling
Verb
  • The service got its name from the original Mechanical Turk, an 18th century chess-playing robot that was actually controlled by a human chess master.
    — Annie Palmer, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
  • If your dog has any dental issues, playing any type of pulling game is not advisable.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of playing
Noun
  • Back in December 1968, Dolan wrote a joking column about the earlier Lake Worth monster, from way back in 1947.
    — Star-Telegram staff, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 July 2026
  • Oh, but the Padres manager was ready with the joking last night.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 June 2026
Definition of joking
Verb
  • Also, don’t get too out of control horsing around with friends in the water.
    — John Natale, Hartford Courant, 16 Aug. 2026
  • After horsing around, peruse the quilt displays, agriculture exhibits and arts-and-crafts competitions.
    — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of horsing around
Verb
  • The star took a break from basking in the sun and frolicking through the waves, lining up on the white sand in front of the ocean with her BFFs for a silly dance party.
    — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Even the dreadful summer, when thousands of dead alewives washed ashore, couldn’t stop the O’Rourke kids from frolicking in Lake Michigan.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of frolicking
Noun
  • The clowning might be a little too effortful.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
  • As the race unfolds in real time, there’s clowning, collisions, sabotage, surprises, comedy, chaos and more.
    — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026
Definition of clowning
Verb
  • What parents can do on hectic mornings Nemours recommends doing as much as possible the night before, from setting out dishes to cutting up fruit.
    — Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Using unseen footage from Presley’s 1969 to 1976 Las Vegas residency, the movie plays the hits – plus The Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel – but also showcases his sense of humor, quipping with crowds and cutting up with bandmates.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 12 June 2026
Definition of cutting up
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.

Browse Nearby Words

skylarkers
skylarking
skylarks
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Cite this Entry

“Skylarking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skylarking. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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