variants
or deviltry
1
as in mischief
playful, reckless behavior that is not intended to cause serious harm
children always getting into some devilry
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in witchcraft
the power to control natural forces through supernatural means
superstitious villagers who were quick to attribute an unexpected occurrence to devilry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of devilry
Dancing spirits, dressed in Victorian-era garb, stir up devilry as the night unfolds.
—
Marcia Luttrell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Sep. 2025
Maybe, Nicholas comes to think, what bedevils him is not a medical condition—the sort of thing a physician can properly diagnose—but the devilry of Pan.
—Scott Stossel, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
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
Marcia Luttrell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Sep. 2025
Maybe, Nicholas comes to think, what bedevils him is not a medical condition—the sort of thing a physician can properly diagnose—but the devilry of Pan.
—Scott Stossel, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
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
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Gossip fed the frenzy of the Salem Witch Trials and has been the subtext of one too many fables where mischief masks moral rot.—
Oriel FeldmanHall,
Time,
6 Oct. 2025
-
He was first arrested in 2012 in Palm Beach County, Florida, on charges of battery, improper exhibit of a firearm or dangerous weapon and criminal mischief, with only criminal mischief upheld.—
Brooke Taylor,
FOXNews.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Thomas Ady, the 17th century author of a skeptical treatise on witchcraft A Candle in the Dark appears to refer to Vincent without naming him directly.—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
1 Oct. 2025
-
There’s a deep sadness to Mika Moon, a witch who has been raised to hide her magic, and there’s also sadness to witchcraft in general in this world, in which any one with magic is orphaned.—
Audrey Goldberg Ruoff,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
-
In this Fixed sign, Mars’ sorcery is much like a surgeon or a chemist, cutting deep to unveil what’s lingering beneath the surface.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
24 Sep. 2025
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Sheibani and McCraney know that the way to bring out the sorcery of a play layered in myth and ritual is not to weigh it down.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
11 Sep. 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
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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
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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
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Falcons, Texans, Jets, Seahawks Baker Mayfield was nearly flawless, completing 29 of 33 passes for 379 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions as the Bucs’ fourth-quarter magic continued.—
Chad Graff,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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That began with his mother, who introduced him to the magic of movement and music—the sounds of her favorite female singers flooding the house.—
Guillermo Perez,
Miami Herald,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Devilry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devilry. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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