skulduggery

noun

skul·​dug·​gery ˌskəl-ˈdə-g(ə-)rē How to pronounce skulduggery (audio)
ˈskəl-ˌdə-
variants or skullduggery
plural skulduggeries or skullduggeries
: underhanded or unscrupulous behavior
also : a devious device or trick

Did you know?

Skulduggery, which can also be spelled "skullduggery," was first documented in the mid-19th century spelled as "scull-duggery." Etymologists aren't sure exactly how the word arrived in English, but they do not believe it has anything to do with skulls. It is possibly derived from the now-very-rare "sculduddery," a term once used to refer to gross or lewd conduct, but unfortunately the origins of that word are also unknown.

Examples of skulduggery in a Sentence

tales of espionage and skulduggery the company's apparently healthy bottom line was merely an illusion, the result of years of accounting skulduggery
Recent Examples on the Web This one went smoothly — no claims of rampant rigging, no significant taint of skulduggery — due in large part to the defeat of deepfakes, democracy’s newest enemy. Michael Rogers, Twin Cities, 14 Jan. 2024 In a separate incident of apparent skulduggery in 2007, Belichick was fined a league maximum of $500,000. Bill Pennington, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2024 And the latest corporate skulduggery requires Murderbot to access its creativity in a whole new way. Charlie Jane Anders, Washington Post, 19 Dec. 2023 Yevgeny Prigozhin for years had denied any connection to the Wagner mercenary group and operated discreetly on the margins of Russian power, trading in political skulduggery, cafeteria meals and lethal force. Paul Sonne, BostonGlobe.com, 26 Aug. 2023 In his pre-suspended life, Garcia worked for an anti-Communist, nationalist, Catholic dictatorship, and now must come to terms with a democratic nation — if one in which political skulduggery is nevertheless rife — even as certain elements try to bring him down. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2023 But in this case, it could also be seen as a slap to Representative Peter Meijer, the incumbent in the Grand Rapids-area district who braved blowback from his own party over his vote to impeach Mr. Trump and is now fighting skulduggery from the right and the left. Jonathan Weisman, New York Times, 26 July 2022 Instead, Pez Outlaw goes for a tale of sugar-fueled, globetrotting skulduggery in which the stakes are exclusively personal. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2022 The contention goes stronger than ever with so many suspicions of skulduggery bolstered by sworn affidavits from those claiming to have witnessed just that during their election assignments on Election Day. Mike Masterson, Arkansas Online, 15 Nov. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'skulduggery.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of skulduggery was in 1845

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Cite this Entry

“Skulduggery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skulduggery. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

skulduggery

noun
skul·​dug·​gery
variants or skullduggery
plural skulduggeries
: sneaky or dishonest behavior : trickery
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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