1
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
getting the trade unions to go along with the agreement will be a rather dodgy piece of work
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cunning
clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means
needed a dodgy barrister to get him acquitted of the charge
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in questionable
giving good reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged
the authenticity of the "lost" Shakespearean sonnet was more than a little dodgy
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dodgy
Plus, is dodgy data undermining medical research?
—
TheWeek, 16 Jan. 2026
Greenstein and Goldberg tried — and failed — to dissuade their boss from giving Will Smith and his company Westbrook an overall deal with the studio, arguing that the Oscar-slap controversy and a dodgy box office track record would result in more headaches than hits.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 4 Nov. 2025
The business is, and has always been, a dodgy boondoggle; not for nothing were the old-money WASPs at the East Coast banks reticent to put capital behind fledgling Hollywood.
—Nick Pinkerton, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
The emails were the last straw for the House of Windsor after years of tawdry headlines about Andrew’s dodgy friends and suspicious business deals.
—CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dodgy
TheWeek, 16 Jan. 2026
Greenstein and Goldberg tried — and failed — to dissuade their boss from giving Will Smith and his company Westbrook an overall deal with the studio, arguing that the Oscar-slap controversy and a dodgy box office track record would result in more headaches than hits.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 4 Nov. 2025
The business is, and has always been, a dodgy boondoggle; not for nothing were the old-money WASPs at the East Coast banks reticent to put capital behind fledgling Hollywood.
—Nick Pinkerton, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
The emails were the last straw for the House of Windsor after years of tawdry headlines about Andrew’s dodgy friends and suspicious business deals.
—CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dodgy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dodgy
Adjective
-
The most difficult piece of the puzzle?—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Mar. 2026
-
But studying those relationships is difficult, due to the challenges in actually observing social interactions in the shark world.—
BRADY DENNIS THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In state media comedy shows, jokes about Putin are told from time to time, but they are used to bolster his image as a powerful, cunning leader, and hold up Russia as a great country.—
Neringa Klumbytė,
The Conversation,
4 Mar. 2026
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These ambitious, cunning, and often amoral Cold War operatives were usually marginal or even inconsequential figures at home.—
Alfred McCoy,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Saturday, further uncertainty entered the equation, with guard Norman Powell listed as questionable due to calf tightness, having recently missed seven consecutive games due to a groin strain.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2026
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He was previously listed as questionable to play on the team’s injury report.—
Daily News,
Daily News,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Middle linebacker is one of the toughest positions to play in today’s game, but Smith has the mental makeup to run the front of this defense.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
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The Senate map will likely get tougher for Democrats in future elections.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But there’s nothing wrong with getting something cute with a tomato or a cherry on it.—
Emily Johnson,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
20 Mar. 2026
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Despite its cute, turkey-sized appearance, the Doolysaurus was a hardy survivor.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But such a pledge was of dubious legal authority since past emergency declarations by governors dealt with medical reasons, such as the pandemic.—
Rick Pearson,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
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Getting there, however, is a more dubious matter.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Any one of those facts should have triggered harder questions about putting sensitive law enforcement data on Microsoft’s cloud.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
23 Mar. 2026
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Aestura’s Atobarrier365 Cream aims to help dry, sensitive skin find that same kind of balance.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The trailer’s slick wordplay and motherly imagery smartly play on both Latto’s Big Mama persona and the pregnancy rumors that have emerged over the past couple of months.—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
20 Mar. 2026
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On our hike, Jessie Krebs scolds her boots for sliding on a slick, house-size boulder.—
Andrew McKean,
Outdoor Life,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dodgy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dodgy. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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