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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It’s made with an eyelet pattern and twisted knot for a trendy touch, and the mini length will let your legs breathe on hot days by the pool.—
Rylee Johnston,
Travel + Leisure,
1 May 2025
-
But Bronte becomes just another pawn in Joe’s twisted game of love.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
25 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
-
More: Are cute children's books teaching kids about gender and sexuality?—
Stephen J. Beard,
USA Today,
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
-
The thing is, there are normal technologies that lead to abnormal impacts.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
-
Some patients with dysphonia feel that their abnormal voice issues affect their relationships and their ability to perform their job or take on leadership or public-facing roles.—
Indu Subramanian,
The Conversation,
1 May 2025
Adjective
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Our physical body is the antenna for all of these sensations; a relaxed, thawed body can pick up more subtle signals.—
Ginny Whitelaw,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
-
There are subtle peacock tail motifs throughout the hotel, from the geometric patterns in intricate kumiko woodwork headboards to Japanese washi paper designs in the elevator.—
Amber Gibson,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
That’s not unusual, for people to send spritzes, but then the manager came out with a gift bag.—
Seija Rankin,
HollywoodReporter,
2 May 2025
-
Nearly a hundred shiny black calves are frolicking in the pastures, including twin bulls (birthweight of 72 pounds each) whose mother is completely unruffled by this unusual occurrence and its maternal responsibilities.—
Susan Koch,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Devious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devious. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
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