Monkeying, or monkey-barring, is swinging straight from one relationship into the next without ever being single in between.
Monkeying, also called monkey-barring, describes never letting go of one relationship until you have a firm grip on the next. Like a child on the monkey bars, the person keeps one hand on a new partner before releasing the old one.
The motive is usually fear of being alone. Lining up the next relationship in advance avoids the discomfort of solitude or uncertainty.
It often overlaps with cushioning and emotional cheating, since the new connection tends to build while the current one is still technically going.
The cost is that it skips the reflection being single allows. Patterns repeat when there is no pause to learn from the last relationship.
If you notice you never spend time on your own between partners, that habit is worth examining, since space alone often makes the next choice a healthier one.