View synonyms for

hanky-panky

or �󲹲�·��-�貹��·��

[ hang-kee-pang-kee ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Informal.

unethical behavior; deceit:
When the bank teller bought an expensive car and house, they suspected there might be some hanky-panky going on.
illicit sexual relations.

hanky-panky

/ ˈ��æŋ��ɪˈ��æŋ��ɪ /

noun

dubious or suspicious behaviour
foolish behaviour or talk
illicit sexual relations

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Word History and Origins

Origin of hanky-panky¹

1835–45; rhyming compound; compare initial h, p of higgledy-piggledy, hocus-pocus, hodgepodge ( def ), etc.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of hanky-panky¹

C19: variant of hocus-pocus

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Their hanky-panky is foiled, but the attempted assignation seems completely random.

From

For instance, he has denied that he sexually assaulted E. Jean Carroll but then blamed her for the attack, saying, "�� kind of a woman meets somebody and brings them up and within minutes you're playing hanky-panky in a dressing room?"

From

"�� kind of a woman meets somebody and brings them up and within minutes you're playing hanky-panky in a dressing room?"

From

There is a lot of hanky-panky going on among the main characters — the ship is filled with extras who have no influence on the story — and a little romance and a lot of relationship issues, which means you do not have to wait long for a sex scene.

From

Looking back to 2016, it is painful to see how the press piled on Hilary's emails and The Clinton Foundation, while giving Trump a pass on the totally fraudulently Trump Foundation and hanky-panky with the Russians.

From

hanky Hanna

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