Definition of beguilenext
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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb beguile differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of beguile are deceive, delude, and mislead. While all these words mean "to lead astray or frustrate usually by underhandedness," beguile stresses the use of charm and persuasion in deceiving.

was beguiled by false promises

When is deceive a more appropriate choice than beguile?

While the synonyms deceive and beguile are close in meaning, deceive implies imposing a false idea or belief that causes ignorance, bewilderment, or helplessness.

tried to deceive me about the cost

When would delude be a good substitute for beguile?

The meanings of delude and beguile largely overlap; however, delude implies deceiving so thoroughly as to obscure the truth.

we were deluded into thinking we were safe

In what contexts can mislead take the place of beguile?

The words mislead and beguile are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, mislead implies a leading astray that may or may not be intentional.

I was misled by the confusing sign

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of beguile Approximately 170 miles north of downtown San Francisco, Fort Bragg is a remote coastal city in California, beloved for its native redwoods, beguiling bluffs and beaches, and overall sense of tranquility. Chelsee Lowe, Travel + Leisure, 28 Jan. 2026 OpenAI took a step on one of these items Tuesday, announcing a model that predicts whether a user is a minor based on their behavior and usage patterns — a challenge that has beguiled the tech industry for decades. Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 21 Jan. 2026 The amendments contain a gimmick meant to beguile the opposition. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2026 And then in those late nineteen-sixties and early seventies the politician Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had found the magic words with which to beguile an unsophisticated electorate—equality, power to the people, distribution of wealth and nationalizations—and so all those ideas were eddying about. Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for beguile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beguile
Verb
  • Precious artifacts have been recently unearthed from the site that fascinates scholars worldwide.
    Sharon Chin, CBS News, 1 May 2026
  • We were fascinated by a broader trend — covered locally by the Chicago Sun-Times and nationally by outlets including CNBC and The New York Times — of people turning the humble 1040 into a form of civil disobedience.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The lawsuit alleged that Capital One deceived customers about interest rates related to some of its savings account options, according to court filings on the settlement website.
    Melina Khan, USA Today, 3 May 2026
  • Her The Wife nods and supports, all knowingly without deceiving the emotional truths of the narrative.
    Chris Feil, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Verb
  • They’d be tempted to betray themselves or others.
    Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
  • The best part is, Baggu has a vast selection of reusable bags on their Amazon page that are so cute, you’ll be tempted to collect them all.
    Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 3 May 2026
Verb
  • His frame and traits are enticing.
    Alec Lewis, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Office renovations and conversions in Charlotte Post-COVID, office towers have to either entice people to come back to the cubicle or change uses.
    Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • After killing Minnesota’s first power play, the Avalanche opened the scoring when defenseman Sam Malinski scored his first career playoff goal, fooling Wallstedt with a rising wrist shot.
    Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 4 May 2026
  • Don’t let Will Lee’s nickname fool you.
    Mike Kaye May 4, Charlotte Observer, 4 May 2026
Verb
  • Thomas Hicks, 68, of Lakeland, faces numerous charges including human trafficking and using a computer to seduce a child.
    Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
  • From the fiery lake of damnation, Lucifer rises as Satan to seduce humanity’s first parents, Adam and Eve, in the flawless Garden of Eden, triggering the Fall of Man and the loss of Paradise itself.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • After decades of delighting fans with her brilliant performances in comedies like Private Benjamin, Overboard and The First Wives Club, Hawn is turning to a different medium to spread the power of positivity.
    Eric Andersson, PEOPLE, 28 Apr. 2026
  • SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.
    Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • According to police records, Torres-García died months before DCF was successfully tricked by her mother into doing a video call with a woman who has said she was asked to impersonate the child.
    Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 2 May 2026
  • Instead of acting independently, the forces influence one another to amplify the ion’s motion, thereby tricking the system into generating a much stronger, more complex interaction than either force could achieve alone.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Beguile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beguile. Accessed 5 May. 2026.

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