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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of devious
Freshly tossed into a private Catholic high school by his devout mother, John falls head over heels for a devious classmate ready to
push his faith (and morals) to the brink with a series of increasingly uncomfortable actions, all in
the name of love.
—
Katcy Stephan, Variety, 16 Apr. 2025
Coinciding with Smoke and Stack’s preparations for this big to-do are the devious activities of Remmick (Jack O’Connell getting his freaky creep on very well) whose legacy extends way back in time.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2025
In seven preceding episodes, Season 3 zoomed in on the insecurities, selfishness, and devious choices of a wide-ranging ensemble cast.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 7 Apr. 2025
Bluegrass group Sister Sadie opens up about bringing an end to generational trauma with its devastatingly vulnerable new release, while Cody Jinks returns with a blistering indictment against devious people.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for devious
Katcy Stephan, Variety, 16 Apr. 2025
Coinciding with Smoke and Stack’s preparations for this big to-do are the devious activities of Remmick (Jack O’Connell getting his freaky creep on very well) whose legacy extends way back in time.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2025
In seven preceding episodes, Season 3 zoomed in on the insecurities, selfishness, and devious choices of a wide-ranging ensemble cast.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 7 Apr. 2025
Bluegrass group Sister Sadie opens up about bringing an end to generational trauma with its devastatingly vulnerable new release, while Cody Jinks returns with a blistering indictment against devious people.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for devious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devious
Adjective
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Esme forgoes a generic entreaty at the feet of her girlboss and instead makes a cunning personal plea for better judgment from her mentor.—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
25 Apr. 2025
-
John Krasinski plays Luke, a cunning art thief in the action adventure thriller Fountain of Youth, and puts his skills to good use.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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We're also introduced to Eleven’s twisted father figure, Dr. Brenner (Alex Breaux, taking on Matthew Modine's role from the series).—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
-
In an adjacent field lay the twisted and charred remains of ambulances.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
While headphones usually create an unnatural and exaggerated stereo field inside the listener’s head, with virtual acoustic spaces a more natural stereo field can be experienced through headphones.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Photos often have unnatural colors, with little detail upon close inspection.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Save on breezy skirts, cute jeans, and stretchy yoga pants that are ideal for travel.—
Isabel Garcia,
People.com,
26 Apr. 2025
-
If the writing can get cute, there lies within it a palpable appreciation for people who dedicate themselves to a brutally challenging and relatively under-rewarded pursuit.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Sharing his battle At that point, Lowe faced a winding path of medical appointments, treatments and side effects.—
Lisa Schencker,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2025
-
Hello, goodbye: The long and winding road of music biopics has finally led us to four feature films about the Beatles, coming in April 2028 by way of Bond director Sam Mendes.—
Raven Smith,
Vogue,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Research indicates that girls with autism have higher rates of abnormal hormonal changes, including irregular menstrual cycles, cramps, acne, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) than girls without autism.—
Anna Giorgi,
Verywell Health,
21 Apr. 2025
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In some cases, the procedure can even identify, diagnose and treat things like abnormal growths all in one procedure.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Shannon Riley, founder and CEO of Building 180 – an art production and consulting agency that arranged the installation – told USA TODAY battery and funding reasons limit the subtle chest motions that mimic breathing to an hour a day, from 5-6 p.m.—
Jorge L. Ortiz,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
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Here, the power lies in subtle luxury—heritage made tangible.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Although not musicians, the Goldbergs quickly realized there was something unusual about their 3-year-old boy.—
Steve Rothaus,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2025
-
For one group of six girls living in Waterloo, Canada, their lives took an unusual turn when a couple of very territorial geese decided to claim their front lawn as their own.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
People.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Devious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devious. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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