as in deception
the use of clever underhanded actions to achieve an end
that candidate only won the election through chicanery
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of chicanery
When Hamilton refused him legal help, Reynolds told all who would listen that the Treasury secretary had masterminded his financial chicanery.
—
Jane Kamensky, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
Democrats have stood still for this chicanery every time it’s been tried in the past.
—Thomas Elias, Mercury News, 16 Sep. 2025
The trial was a kangaroo circus packed with sophism, subterfuge, and courtroom chicanery.
—Manuel Muñoz, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
Those concerns were laid bare in the discovery process for the defamation case that Dominion Voting Systems took against Fox over false suggestions of fraud and other chicanery aired by guests on the network.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for chicanery
Jane Kamensky, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
Democrats have stood still for this chicanery every time it’s been tried in the past.
—Thomas Elias, Mercury News, 16 Sep. 2025
The trial was a kangaroo circus packed with sophism, subterfuge, and courtroom chicanery.
—Manuel Muñoz, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
Those concerns were laid bare in the discovery process for the defamation case that Dominion Voting Systems took against Fox over false suggestions of fraud and other chicanery aired by guests on the network.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for chicanery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chicanery
Noun
-
Comte’s feature directorial debut follows Quebec teenager Antoine, who travels to Ghana for a showdown with Kojo, a local gang member, amid an escalating game of deception.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Feb. 2026
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The Portage case is different, as the subcontractor and his co-conspirators are accused of deception in their failure to deliver the televisions to warehouses.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Perfidy — from the French perfidie via the Latin perfidia — means deceitfulness, treachery or a breach of faith or promise.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
21 Jan. 2026
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But despite all this, not every Chelsea fan outside his family will regard this transfer as treachery.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Both nations are among the tournament's top contenders, which made the last few practices stateside simmering with subterfuge.—
Ren Clayton,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The anti-ICE movement seems to be more of a subterfuge by those who oppose immigration restrictions in general.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This sort of skulduggery wasn’t limited to just the grenadine market, of course.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
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The outcome of the family’s skulduggery, revealed over the end credits, should be a lip-smacking wicked delight.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Filmmakers Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski find an enchanting balance between storybook allure and adult trickery.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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Rayan gave Mykolenko a torrid time, beating him with trickery, pace and brute force.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Of course, the retort is that this would be irritating and exasperating to be continually deluged with alerts about AI deceptiveness.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Voters will get a chance to reject anti-democratic gamesmanship in an April referendum.—
Editorial Board,
Washington Post,
7 Feb. 2026
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Much like the character that brought him instant fame, Waltz loves the gamesmanship that comes with a villainous turn.—
William Earl,
Variety,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Mike Bowman, designer, furniture industry expert, and director of marketing for Harmonia Living, says this trend relies on furnishings to bring artfulness to a space—rather than just functionality.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
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There is a real seriousness to the score — the scheming bad-guy music has the artfulness of Prokofiev, and even the sneaking-around cues have musical integrity and structure.—
Tim Greiving,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chicanery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chicanery. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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