as in deception
the inclination or practice of misleading others through lies or trickery
for sheer crookedness it would be hard to beat the used-car dealer who sold me that lemon
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Recent Examples of crookedness
In a dicey moment when Orgon thinks that his secret crookedness might mean his family’s utter ruin, a messenger from the King arrives.
—
Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2025
Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crookedness
Noun
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Sybiha said Russia uses a range of tactics to recruit foreigners, including financial incentives, deception and coercion.—
Ashley Carnahan,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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The crux of the Democrats’ deception is that repealing 287(g) will make our communities safer.—
Robin Grammer,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But Prosecutor Ben Ladinig argued any grains of authenticity in Haobsh's life were far outweighed by deceit.—
Natalie Morales,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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These are just some of the most prominent, powerful bootlickers stumbling right now on their own deceit and desperation.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 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
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The video, shared on Truth Social, also included unsubstantiated voter fraud allegations.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
7 Feb. 2026
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Today, the movement is remembered less for enlightenment and more for its crimes – including massive immigration fraud and a mass food poisoning in Oregon in 1984, the largest bioterror attack on American soil.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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An honor council, comprised of administrators, teachers, and members of the student government, would sit in judgment on cases of alleged cheating.—
Nell Freudenberger,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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In the wake of the cheating, FIS has modified its rules and brought in a coordinator to oversee screening of gear and hired former Austrian ski jumper Mathias Hafele to work as equipment expert.—
Brian Melley,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
Noun
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Holding viewers by the throat for a handful of strong beats, even as the script slips through the entire cast’s fingers, the devilish actor sells Besson’s interpretation on charisma and cunning.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
6 Feb. 2026
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Strategy and cunning or physicality and grace?—
Zack Pierce,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crookedness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crookedness. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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