Synonyms of deviousness

deviousness

noun

as in cunning

skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means

his deviousness was almost as awesome as his lack of scruples

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cunning
• slyness
• sneakiness
• subtlety
• artfulness
• guile
• wiliness
• craftiness
• subtleness
• canniness
• cunningness
• slickness
• ease
• caginess
• craft
• artifice
• inventiveness
• cleverness
• calculation
• shrewdness
• ingenuity
• foxiness
• guilefulness
• ingeniousness
• duplicity
• design
• care
• savvy
• underhandedness
• finesse
• deceitfulness
• shiftiness
• sharpness
• facility

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of deviousness

The piece urges critical inquiry into such claims, emphasizing that human oversight, not AI's inherent deviousness, can be a sizable contributor. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026

The rules allowed offensive linemen to grapple and hold the bottom of their shoulder pads with savvy bordering on deviousness. — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 24 July 2026

The practice reached new heights of creativity (or deviousness, depending on your perspective) in the modern age, when ever-more sophisticated computers allowed for ever-finer slicing and dicing of the electorate. — Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026