double-dealing 1 of 2

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as in fraudulent
marked by, based on, or done by the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value double-dealing business practices that are being investigated by the state's attorney general

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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double-dealing

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun double-dealing differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of double-dealing are deception, fraud, subterfuge, and trickery. While all these words mean "the acts or practices of one who deliberately deceives," double-dealing suggests treachery or at least action contrary to a professed attitude.

a go-between suspected of double-dealing

When might deception be a better fit than double-dealing?

The meanings of deception and double-dealing largely overlap; however, deception may or may not imply blameworthiness, since it may suggest cheating or merely tactical resource.

magicians are masters of deception

When is fraud a more appropriate choice than double-dealing?

While in some cases nearly identical to double-dealing, fraud always implies guilt and often criminality in act or practice.

indicted for fraud

When could subterfuge be used to replace double-dealing?

The synonyms subterfuge and double-dealing are sometimes interchangeable, but subterfuge suggests the adoption of a stratagem or the telling of a lie in order to escape guilt or to gain an end.

obtained the papers by subterfuge

When would trickery be a good substitute for double-dealing?

In some situations, the words trickery and double-dealing are roughly equivalent. However, trickery implies ingenious acts intended to dupe or cheat.

resorted to trickery to gain their ends

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of double-dealing
Noun
Or that double-dealing old ally who can still hunt? Mohammed Hanif, Time, 2 Sep. 2025 Making his Broadway debut, Burr is a cyclone as the fast-talking, double-dealing Dave Moss, who springs a plan to steal the leads on his unwilling accomplice, George Aaronow (McKean, drolly exasperated). Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2025 Mullen's righthand man, Roger Carlson (Jesse Plemons), was double-dealing with billionaire Robert Lyndon (Clark Gregg), who ultimately ordered a hit on him in Episode 4. Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2025 Through his double-dealing with the government, Carmine Falcone was Gotham’s top crime boss for over two decades, accruing massive wealth, political influence, and an elite status. Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 21 Oct. 2024 Far from being some dastardly act of espionage and double-dealing, Cartwright made his fateful choice out of love. Erik Kain, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024 While the Biden Administration seems to perceive Cambodia as an amenable partner, Manet is double-dealing Beijing and Washington. Sam Rainsy, TIME, 24 June 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for double-dealing
Adjective
  • Websites with unusually long browser names or a lack of searchable company representatives or contact information could be fraudulent.
    Tamia Fowlkes, jsonline.com, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Trump wasted no time in taking to Truth Social to lambast the video as fake and fraudulent.
    Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Their double life soon gets complicated when a rival boy band harboring a sinister secret begins stealing their fans.
    Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
  • How to Watch Pistons vs Rockets Durant scored 23 points before fouling out as the Rockets fell 125-124 in double overtime to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night.
    Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Dealers and lenders have long engaged in deceptive and predatory practices that jack up prices for car buyers in order to line their pockets.
    Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
  • This looks like an attempt to clean up their devastated public image following the Federal Trade Commission’s strong BOTS Act and deceptive practices case against them.
    Jem Aswad, Variety, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Neither Eliot nor Jules suspected anything, and the ease of the deception added to its pleasing sordidness.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025
  • On October 14, those flights revealed missile sites under construction, confirming that Soviet promises had been deliberate deception.
    Big Think, Big Think, 20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Matthiessen, not without reason, portrays the Bureau as paranoid, dishonest, and in league with corporate interests.
    Maggie Doherty, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
  • For that incredibly dishonest assessment that actually did a disservice to the country, Obama is held up to widespread praise by Democrats and others, even winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.
    Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Ryan Scully scored on a 44-yard fake punt and Ethan Polloreno returned an interception for a score.
    John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Instead, the Pack ran a laughably bad fake-kick play — on fourth-and-17, no less.
    Jim Keyser, Idaho Statesman, 25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • At the time, many bettors turned to social media to say that something shady occurred regarding prop bets involving his stats for that night.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Plants bloom well in shady locations and fill the late-summer gap with narrow, upright panicles packed with white or pink blooms.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Over the course of eight episodes, the show traces how mounting pressures, deceit and betrayal led to Alex murdering Maggie and Paul in 2021.
    Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
  • The phone call ignited a shocking chain of events that ultimately uncovered Murdaugh’s long history of lies and deceit, culminating in him murdering his wife and son.
    Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Double-dealing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/double-dealing. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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