1
as in deceit
the tendency to tell lies
if you gain a reputation for dishonesty, no one will believe you even when you're telling the truth
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deception
the inclination or practice of misleading others through lies or trickery
a religious cult that recruits members through dishonesty and subterfuge
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dishonesty
These stereotypes of greed and dishonesty occur again and again in the Greek and Roman sources in discussions of Carthage.
—
Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
There was prevalent dishonesty.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Jan. 2026
Jennette McCurdy admitted the hardest part of returning to Hollywood isn’t the work itself, but realizing dishonesty is rewarded in the industry.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The memo notes several sustained violations of Austin Police Department general orders, including failure to de-escalate, unreasonable response to resistance, inaccurate and misleading report writing, dishonesty and acts bringing discredit upon the department.
—Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dishonesty
Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
There was prevalent dishonesty.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Jan. 2026
Jennette McCurdy admitted the hardest part of returning to Hollywood isn’t the work itself, but realizing dishonesty is rewarded in the industry.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The memo notes several sustained violations of Austin Police Department general orders, including failure to de-escalate, unreasonable response to resistance, inaccurate and misleading report writing, dishonesty and acts bringing discredit upon the department.
—Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dishonesty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dishonesty
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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Named one of the 10 Best Books of 2025 by The New York Times, Angel Down follows Private Cyril Bagger, who has managed to survive the unspeakable horrors of WWI through his wits and deception, swindling fellow soldiers at every opportunity.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
26 Jan. 2026
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The drama about power, deception, and the complex bond between father and son is set in 1930s New York as international financier Gregor Antonescu’s empire faces collapse.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
26 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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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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In June, she was invited to appear before the Federal Trade Commission as a panelist to explain the harms of PGM from a consumer fraud perspective.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
31 Jan. 2026
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When he was arrested on theft and fraud charges in 2023, contractor Ricky McGraw was held up as the poster child for Florida’s crumbling insurance market.—
Lawrence Mower,
Miami Herald,
30 Jan. 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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Because Maradona, in a burst of cunning and trickery, also used his hand.—
Esteban Campanela,
CNN Money,
25 Nov. 2025
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Landing a good apartment in New York City can take some cunning.—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dishonesty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dishonesty. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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