horsed around

verb

past tense of horse around
as in clowned (around)
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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for horsed around
  1. cut up
  2. fooled around
  3. showed off
  4. acted up
Verb
  • After Szabo cuts up Matt’s face in one of many graphic scenes, the actor loses his career and just about everything else in his life.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Union President Carrie Kyung said the plan includes cutting up to 18 English learner teachers and would affect at least two dozen schools.
    — Jason Rantala, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of cut up
Verb
  • Not too long ago, artificial intelligence was more or less a science project in which data scientists and developers fooled around with one-off small or test projects.
    — Joe McKendrick, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Definition of fooled around
Verb
  • During the ribbon-cutting for the wind farm, some construction workers showed off massive new turbine tattoos.
    — Sara Herschander, Vox, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Keri Russell once again showed off her impressive foot arch in a dramatically steep pair of minimalist mules.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of showed off
Verb
  • And of course, Peterson not playing would have made some wonder if the McDonald’s All-American’s hamstring had acted up again.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 7 Dec. 2025
Definition of acted 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

horseback
horsed around
horsefeathers
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Cite this Entry

“Horsed around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horsed%20around. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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