Meaning & use
monkey bars
Last updated
UK/ˈmʌŋki bɑːz/
US/ˈmʌŋki bɑːrz/
Meaning
nounusually plural
A playground structure of horizontal bars, often shaped like a ladder, that children climb on or swing across by their hands.
Grammar: Usually plural with a plural verb: the monkey bars are wet.
Patterns
- cross the monkey bars
- swing on the monkey bars
She finally managed to cross the monkey bars without dropping.
The children raced each other across the monkey bars.
He fell off the monkey bars and scraped his knee.
Common combinations
- cross the monkey bars
- He practiced all summer to cross the monkey bars.
- swing across the monkey bars
- Kids swing across the monkey bars during recess.
- hang from the monkey bars
- She likes to hang from the monkey bars upside down.
- fall off the monkey bars
- Someone fell off the monkey bars and broke an arm.
Synonyms and how they differ
- jungle gym
- This American term covers a whole climbing structure, while monkey bars are only the bars to swing across.
- climbing frame
- This British term describes a frame to climb on, not specifically bars for swinging by the hands.
Word family
Practice
At recess, Maya swung hand over hand across the ___.
Choose one answer.
Monkey bars are horizontal bars you cross by swinging by your hands. A slide, see-saw and sandbox do not work that way.
Make it your own
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