How to Use horseplay in a Sentence

horseplay

noun
  • The lamp got broken when the kids were engaging in a little horseplay.
  • So the star learns his part, Or this horseplay could get out of hand.
    — Pat Myers, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2022
  • Spanier has said the abuse of the boy was characterized to him as horseplay.
    — NBC News, 26 May 2021
  • There’s no horseplay, no banter, no jokes, As there was in the brighter part of the day.
    — Hartford Courant, courant.com, 11 Mar. 2018
  • The Montgomerys said the bruise was caused by horseplay with a sibling.
    — Washington Post, 4 May 2022
  • But what had once been raucous and raunchy mischief, was now benign horseplay.
    — Time, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Sue says the fall was the result of the careless horseplay of teen boys, who’d been dangling the child.
    — Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2022
  • When horseplay turns into an impromptu hookup, neither of the young men fight the urge.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2026
  • Making horseplay intense just proves that Strong can use his powers for good.
    — Vulture, 10 May 2022
  • Both were loud, laughing presences in the locker room and deeply involved in much of its horseplay.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 13 June 2024
  • And yes, there were cases on public roads where the horseplay turned dangerous.
    — Mark Price, Miami Herald, 22 Jan. 2025
  • They are no longer divided by litter and now wear muzzles to protect their thin skin from horseplay souvenirs.
    — Ashley Stimpson, Longreads, 31 Oct. 2020
  • The scene, which sets up eight years of horseplay between the two office pranksters, is also a feat of food engineering.
    — Ali Francis, Bon Appétit, 22 Nov. 2021
  • That would be Tim Seder, the guy who wouldn’t let a little horseplay get in the way of a Cowboys’ win.
    — Kristi Scales, Dallas News, 9 Dec. 2020
  • Hines showed that these girls tend to engage in play behavior seen relatively more often in boys, such as horseplay.
    — Grace Huckins, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2021
  • Once, before the stabbing, Malik chased Yahkeim with a knife during horseplay.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 5 May 2026
  • Beyond giving service, Ford trucks have been involved in all manner of shenanigans and horseplay, too.
    — Maxwell B. Mortimer, Car and Driver, 26 June 2020
  • Most upsetting of all is a bout of boyish horseplay, in a bedroom, that kicks off as a lark but turns into a dogfight, complete with claws and teeth.
    — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2023
  • Ultimately, embracing horseplay is about giving your kids the space and trust to fulfill their needs for connection and joy.
    — Washington Post, 27 Dec. 2021
  • Choke holds are fairly common in mixed martial arts, which are becoming more popular, not to mention friendly horseplay.
    — Philly.com, 12 Dec. 2017
  • At first, the boys keep up a summer-camp spirit, indulging in hazing rituals and homoerotic horseplay.
    — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2023
  • Four-wheel drive is, of course, standard, and this rugged pickup is approved for off-road horseplay with Jeep's Trail Rated badge.
    — Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 12 Apr. 2021
  • So, apparently, is literal horseplay and the discreet display of a future royal hoo-hoo.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2023
  • On my gondola, however, horseplay is not only encouraged, it is required.
    — Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 24 Sep. 2024
  • Spanier has said the abuse of the boy, who has not been conclusively identified by authorities, was characterized as horseplay.
    — Mark Scolforo, Star Tribune, 13 Jan. 2021
  • Officers arrived to find people listening to loud music inside and outside the house, and engaging in horseplay.
    — cleveland.com, 10 Sep. 2019
  • There was reportedly no horseplay or swerving during the ride, according to 9News.
    — Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 22 Dec. 2025
  • Martha and George’s fictitious baby — one of their private games Martha took upon herself to share with her guests in a night of brutal horseplay — will have to die.
    — Charles McNultytheater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2022
  • While many view what happened at old Comiskey Park that night as horseplay run amok, other ascribe less benign sentiments to what transpired and what fueled it.
    — Phil Rosenthal, chicagotribune.com, 12 June 2019
  • Spanier, who did not take the stand in his own defense, has said Sandusky's attack on the boy, whose identity remains in dispute, was characterized to him as horseplay.
    — NBC News, 26 June 2018

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'horseplay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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