1
as in cunning
clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means
we always left it to our most devious friends to find out the latest information
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in twisted
marked by a long series of irregular curves
a devious trail through the swampland
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in unnatural
departing from some accepted standard of what is normal
her behavior is devious because of a developmental disorder
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of devious
Mao Zedong and his colleagues increasingly resented Soviet assumptions of superiority and leadership of the world communist movement, while Stalin’s successor Nikita Khrushchev found the Chinese devious and untrustworthy—contributing to the very public and bitter Sino-Soviet split after 1962.
—
Margaret MacMillan, Foreign Affairs, 21 July 2025
The sequel has more glamour, more trouble and maybe a bit too much nonsense
1 Comments
The first Simple Favor, from 2018, was a playful, shallow mystery most notable for casting the lovely, languid Blake Lively as a cynical, devious clothes horse named Emily Nelson.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Expose every last devious aspect of the terror attack — all the countries that looked the other way and the spy agencies that failed fellow Americans.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 15 July 2025
But prosecutors said Patterson secretly despised her husband’s family and concocted the devious plot to kill them, then lied about numerous parts of it.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for devious
Margaret MacMillan, Foreign Affairs, 21 July 2025
The sequel has more glamour, more trouble and maybe a bit too much nonsense
1 Comments
The first Simple Favor, from 2018, was a playful, shallow mystery most notable for casting the lovely, languid Blake Lively as a cynical, devious clothes horse named Emily Nelson.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Expose every last devious aspect of the terror attack — all the countries that looked the other way and the spy agencies that failed fellow Americans.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 15 July 2025
But prosecutors said Patterson secretly despised her husband’s family and concocted the devious plot to kill them, then lied about numerous parts of it.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for devious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devious
Adjective
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Köhler specializes in cunning, tonally surprising films about cross-cultural disconnection, and Gavagai is his most ambitious and expansive film yet—a pinpoint-accurate account of moral crises and social biases, modern and ancient, internal and external.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
5 Aug. 2025
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But as the supervisors tweaked the incentives, a new form of cunning arose.—
Craig S. Smith,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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The twisted stars of periwinkles, towering hollyhocks with their hot-pink Medusa heads, the lion-mane frills of marigolds.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Aug. 2025
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And wrap it in a gorgeous (if somewhat twisted) album cover depicting a completely adorable baby underwater, grasping at a dollar bill on a fishhook?—
EW Staff Published,
EW.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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With tensions already flaring, a nightmarish encounter with a mysterious, unnatural force threatens to corrupt their lives, their love, and their flesh.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Aug. 2025
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Later that night, the brothers return with Dougal supporting Colum, as his leg is twisted in an unnatural way.—
Lincee Ray Published,
EW.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Cups are often the first things to go, and these are cute enough that people will want to take them home.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
23 Aug. 2025
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But for those trying to make their warm-weather pieces last a bit longer, a cute layer will do the trick.—
Mia Huelsbeck,
People.com,
23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The long and winding road of The Beatles leads to a trifecta of new anniversary artifacts.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
22 Aug. 2025
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On Beatles night at Citi Field, the Mets took a long and winding road to defeat.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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This all sounds so beautifully abnormal: this man and his family, on this journey, celebrating something in the Twin Cities that would be so pleasantly unexpected.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
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The pregnancy had been complicated—marked by abnormal scan results; talk of possible termination; and a diagnosis of hypospadias, a congenital condition affecting the genitals.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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There's a subtle but powerful form of manipulation happening in AI companions.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
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The spawn, which typically takes place over a few days and lasts less than 20 minutes, is triggered by subtle environmental cues — moon phase, tides and water temperatures — that healthy reefs once responded to in consistent synchronization.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
17 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Travelers are increasingly experimenting with unusual or risky foods, leading to health issues.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
20 Aug. 2025
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Preparation for the construction of an expressway connecting two towns in southwestern Poland has revealed the remains of an ancient and unusual settlement, officials said.—
Lauren Liebhaber,
Miami Herald,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Devious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devious. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.
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