1
as in cunning
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means
a shady salesman who usually relies on a combination of quick thinking and guile
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in deception
the inclination or practice of misleading others through lies or trickery
a person so full of guile he can't even be trusted to give you the correct time of day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of guile
Former Heat Fades The 37-year-old right-hander, who broke in with Atlanta as NL Rookie of the Year in 2011, lacks his old velocity but compensates with a combination of guile and experience.
—
Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
But the sensational framing obscures what's really happening: design flaws dressed up as intentional guile.
—ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2025
Opening pages show Toews’ characteristic wit and guile squaring off against extraordinary pain.
—Literary Hub
july 1, Literary Hub, 1 July 2025
This would be somewhat of a raw reach, a player who could get by early with his attacking and defensive guile.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for guile
Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
But the sensational framing obscures what's really happening: design flaws dressed up as intentional guile.
—ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2025
Opening pages show Toews’ characteristic wit and guile squaring off against extraordinary pain.
—Literary Hub
july 1, Literary Hub, 1 July 2025
This would be somewhat of a raw reach, a player who could get by early with his attacking and defensive guile.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for guile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guile
Noun
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Federico Marchetti, the Italian fashion entrepreneur, is a master of sprezzatura—the courtier’s art of cloaking ambition and cunning in an air of guileless nonchalance.—
John Seabrook,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
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Despite being outnumbered 50-to-1 by the Five Families of the Italian mafia, The Westies’ legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In a chilling case of deception and domestic violence, what appeared to be months of stalking by an ex-boyfriend turned out to be an elaborate scheme orchestrated by a Colorado woman's own husband, culminating in her murder just days before Christmas.—
Doc Louallen,
ABC News,
26 Sep. 2025
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Methods include propaganda, deception, sabotage and other non-military tactics, the alliance says.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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And with that comes deceit and manipulation.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
29 Sep. 2025
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There’s a lot of deceit, and not necessarily in an evil way.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
29 Sep. 2025
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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The law lowers daily transaction minimums, increases warnings on the kiosks, requires transaction receipts and requires Bitcoin ATM operators to issue refunds to victims of fraud, the release states.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
4 Oct. 2025
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Other senior officials opted to leave, including the bureau’s top fraud expert, cryptanalyst and skyjacking expert, and the head of its Crime Information Center.—
Douglas M. Charles,
The Conversation,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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People make close, intense bonds when stuck in the Big Brother house together, and Vince and Morgan’s dynamic crosses more lines with each passing day, emotional cheating threatening to tip into physical even as Vince continues to hopelessly cloak his feelings in flimsy analogies and code phrases.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
27 Sep. 2025
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Emotional cheating occurs when someone develops a strong connection with someone other than their committed partner, leading to them sharing intimate thoughts, feelings and experiences, Sara Kuburic, a psychotherapist, previously wrote in USA TODAY.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Guile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guile. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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