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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Recent Examples of chicanery
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
Despite the chicanery, this is a solid deal for a phone that isn’t wildly different from the Pixel 9.
—Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
One is inclined to ask how much chicanery, deceit, deception and outright lying one must absorb before ending one’s allegiance to that party.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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
Despite the chicanery, this is a solid deal for a phone that isn’t wildly different from the Pixel 9.
—Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
One is inclined to ask how much chicanery, deceit, deception and outright lying one must absorb before ending one’s allegiance to that party.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for chicanery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chicanery
Noun
-
McCoy is charged with theft by deception, violation of oath of office, and three counts of false statements and writings.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Harper got fired for the aforementioned deception.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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With season 4 rapidly approaching, now's the time to prepare for the treachery to come.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Dec. 2025
-
Instead of being killed, Ashur takes Spartacus’ life and is consequently rewarded for his treachery by the Roman Empire.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
1 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The story then unfolded through the subterfuge of the princess and the care of Morton.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
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Unlike the confrontational drudgery of couples therapy — and aiming to avoid the confrontational finality of divorce — this approach relies on subterfuge.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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There was much more to it than that, including some skullduggery along the way.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 Dec. 2025
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The music industry is a notoriously cutthroat business, rife with tales of backstabbing and skullduggery.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
16 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Of course, many Americans vote early and have since the COVID-19 crisis, so his fearmongering about Election Day trickery is pointless.—
Paul Bedard,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Dec. 2025
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The stunt aims to confirm the robot’s physical capabilities and counter claims of digital trickery, marking an unusual strategy in a sector where technical specifications typically serve as proof.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Dec. 2025
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
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Something more and something extra in no small part because of Stewart, whose senses of showmanship and gamesmanship animated and fueled the rivalry for so long.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
6 Dec. 2025
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This would not be a new phenomenon—Billboards’ digital sales have been a target for manipulation for several years now, forcing the company to make several tweaks to tamp down on gamesmanship.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
14 Nov. 2025
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 12 Jan. 2026.
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