1
as in cunning
clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means
we always left it to our most devious friends to find out the latest information
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in twisted
marked by a long series of irregular curves
a devious trail through the swampland
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in unnatural
departing from some accepted standard of what is normal
her behavior is devious because of a developmental disorder
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of devious
Another season of The Traitors is here — which means a new group of devious celebrities has been chosen to wreak havoc in the castle.
—
Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
Liongate just greenlit a sequel film based on the second book in Freida McFadden’s trilogy series, The Housemaid’s Secret, with Sydney Sweeney returning as the devious maid, Millie Calloway.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 7 Jan. 2026
The blistering, billion-dollar trilogy concludes with Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, et al, with the addition of Anya Taylor-Joy as our lead’s sister, and Robert Pattinson, reportedly, as a devious new villain.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 1 Jan. 2026
However, another had a more devious theory as to why the word might be missing.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for devious
Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
Liongate just greenlit a sequel film based on the second book in Freida McFadden’s trilogy series, The Housemaid’s Secret, with Sydney Sweeney returning as the devious maid, Millie Calloway.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 7 Jan. 2026
The blistering, billion-dollar trilogy concludes with Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, et al, with the addition of Anya Taylor-Joy as our lead’s sister, and Robert Pattinson, reportedly, as a devious new villain.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 1 Jan. 2026
However, another had a more devious theory as to why the word might be missing.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for devious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devious
Adjective
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His initial rise to fame came from playing cunning and ruthless centuries-old vampire Eric Northman on True Blood.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Jan. 2026
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They’re built up to be these impossibly deadly and evil and cunning foes, and then our much less impressive heroes manage to take them down through grit and determination or just dumb luck.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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For the most part, Raimi is here to have sick, progressively more twisted fun.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Meanwhile, Rihanna was the most famous beauty spotted, attending Christian Dior in side tendrils and a twisted bun.—
Essence,
Essence,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Others forced users to pause for several seconds between words, which made the conversation feel unnatural.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
1 Feb. 2026
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If anything, Amorim proved too defiantly wedded to his own ‘way’, a 3-4-2-1 system which had to force-fit players into unnatural roles.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Matching lounge sets meet all the criteria of a great one-and-done airport outfit — they’re made from soft material, don’t require outfit planning, and actually look cute.—
Emily Weaver,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
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Each heart has a little black outline of a heart inside of it, creating cute sketched vibes.—
Kara Jillian Brown,
InStyle,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Chicago capped a winding season of exclamation-point football with its wild-card comeback against the archrival Green Bay Packers.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
18 Jan. 2026
-
Old Town Albuquerque With its narrow, winding streets and adobe architecture, Old Town Albuquerque oozes small-town charm.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Roasty and savory like garlic butter before dessert, where fragrances can become an abnormal testament to a brief, unyielding safety.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
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And to feel momentary dismay and stress and sadness or anxiety in response to it strikes me as a normal human response to an abnormal event.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This includes subtle feedback that traditional simulators often miss.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
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Available in nine sizes, the rug's medallion pattern has subtle hints of blue, green, and pink throughout.—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Play with the traditional French manicure and swap the curved tip for a heart shape.—
Kara Jillian Brown,
InStyle,
31 Jan. 2026
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It’s filled with curved desks arranged in rows, each equipped with multiple computer monitors.—
Isaac Stanley-Becker,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Devious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devious. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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