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
  • Rifkin also open a bag containing Machado’s black bra and purple T-shirt, both of which were cut up by scissors.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Duke Energy crews are working to cut up the tree and replace the pole, officials said.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 15 Sep. 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
  • Once the coat was removed, Middleton showed off even more of her monochrome styling with a Reiss matte-silk tie-neck blouse in gray.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Prosper showed off his high-flying abilities during the match.
    — Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 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 10 Oct. 2026.

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