as in to play
to spend time in aimless activity
we've been goofing around long enough; it's time to get some real work done
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for goof (around)
Verb
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No word on the role Koch is playing, and official plot details for the film are being kept under wraps, although it’s described as a comedic drama set in the world of artificial intelligence.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
14 July 2025 -
Bullock, 60, and Kidman, 58, who played sisters Sally Owens and Gillian Owens in the original movie, are both returning.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
14 July 2025
Verb
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Those have come from two players: Adrian Morejon of the San Diego Padres, who throws an odd knuckleball-changeup hybrid about 1 percent of the time, and Jonah Bride of the Minnesota Twins, an infielder fooling around with the knuckler in blowouts.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
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As Molly and Guy start to fool around, things get hot and heavy, but Ernie has a job to do.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 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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No more messing around with dials or having to adjust sound levels, for example.—
Eric Hutto,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
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Not messing around, the company hires Zora (Scarlett Johansson), an experienced soldier of fortune, to lead a team that also includes fellow mercenary Duncan (Mahershala Ali) and Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey), a paleontologist.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
1 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Goof (around).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goof%20%28around%29. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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