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jinks

British  
/ dʒɪŋks /

plural noun

  1. boisterous or mischievous play (esp in the phrase high jinks )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

jinks Idioms  
  1. see high jinks.


Etymology

Origin of jinks

C18: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Mostly the comedy in “The Sheep Detectives” derives from slapstick high jinks.

From The Wall Street Journal May 7, 2026

The “Sonic” and “Minecraft” films did their duty by hiring pretty good comedy writers to connect the gaming high jinks.

From The Wall Street Journal Mar. 31, 2026

Certainly the high jinks have caught the attention of those in Australia, who have put the sandpaper down long enough to have their say on England's morals.

From BBC Jul. 30, 2025

Still, it’s a bit surreal to hear the announcers obsess over Sonny’s high jinks in the back of the pack while ignoring the winners.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 26, 2025

He cracked himself up, though I wasn’t sure whether it was Calvin’s high jinks or my own making him so goofy.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman

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