variants or deviltry
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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 devilry As shown in his previous films, Eggers’ sensibility has roots not in contemporary horror but in stories from centuries past that become vivid and febrile, alive with an insidious devilry that inches under your skin. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Dec. 2024 That’s enough devilry to explain at least much of Haiti’s challenges without resorting to tales of satanic influence. Matthew Brown, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2024 Shyamalan, to be fair, has lost none of his compositional devilry; notice his bisecting of the screen with clean vertical lines—the trunk of a tree, or the edge of a shower curtain, behind which somebody may or may not lurk. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2023 Suddenly, modernists were jockeying to impose some glass-and-steel devilry atop the old dame. Shawn McCreesh, Curbed, 17 Aug. 2021 Before long, the angry and injured young wife is the one on trial for witchcraft — fighting for her life as the apparent evidence of devilry accrues. BostonGlobe.com, 6 May 2021 Aboard the ship, mysterious devilry begins to take place and a demon is suspected to be behind it. Kami Phillips, CNN Underscored, 8 Oct. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devilry
Noun
  • Wednesday, of course, is always up to some mischief, bringing Enid in with her.
    Hedy Phillips, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Expecting dull days and strict rules, the boy instead stumbles into a world of delightful chaos and imagination – where outrageous stories are spun, and a world of wonder, memory, and mischief unfolds.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • As Calhoun summarizes, the first part takes up the subject of magic and necromancy, the second treats of witchcraft and sorcery, and the third discourses of all kinds of spirits and specters.
    Emily Zarevich, JSTOR Daily, 3 Sep. 2025
  • The portrayal of witchcraft in the 21st century is expansive and multi-dimensional.
    Taylor Crumpton, Time, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Soon, the America’s Got Talent stage descended into pure chaos, with Cowell and Mandel showcasing their innate mischievousness before the latter turned his attention toward his fellow judges.
    Tyler Jenke, Billboard, 6 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • As Calhoun summarizes, the first part takes up the subject of magic and necromancy, the second treats of witchcraft and sorcery, and the third discourses of all kinds of spirits and specters.
    Emily Zarevich, JSTOR Daily, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Putting It All Together AI might feel like magic, but it’s powered by structure, not sorcery.
    Abhesh Kumar, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Mustard and vinegar provide the devilment for a flavorful bite, particularly when topped with a scattering of scallions and paprika.
    SAVEUR Editors, Saveur, 5 Feb. 2025
  • But even if truffles are beyond your pay grade, there is plenty of enjoyment to be had in the sheer devilment portrayed in this informative and appetizing book.
    Eugenia Bone, WSJ, 10 July 2019
Noun
  • This is the cursed object that shows up at the Smurls, though the actual conjuring mirror – long a mainstay in the Warrens' Occult Museum, alongside the infamous Annabelle – was obtained from a man in New Jersey.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Indeed, Absolutely was a project of divination, of spiritual conjuring.
    Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 18 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Last but not least is a 12-week-old dog named Sunny, who has truly leaned into the naughtiness of being a puppy.
    Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Can Indiana repeat the magic from 2024?
    Dylan Reffe, The Courier-Journal, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Up-close photos of jazz legends, tableside magic and revisiting the 1990s with an all-ages celebration.
    Liz Rothaus Bertrand, Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Devilry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devilry. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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