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
These assertions go beyond guile, opportunism, cruelty, despair, or self-preservation.
—
Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
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, Literary Hub, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for guile
Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
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, Literary Hub, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for guile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guile
Noun
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Coaching successfully in such conditions requires a mixture of humility and self-confidence, as well as a certain cunning.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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The story follows Toto, an almost completely blind cat with incredible ninja skills, who must use her courage and cunning to stop a deadly King Cobra that has escaped onto the streets of London, alongside her cheeky brother Silver.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Always one step ahead of the police, Fantomas is a master of deception and chaos.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
4 Nov. 2025
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The three-part docuseries that premiered this week chronicles how Rasmussen discovered Johnson’s deceptions and finally left him, only to be harassed by her ex after their divorce.—
Addie Morfoot,
Variety,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Over the course of eight episodes, the show traces how mounting pressures, deceit and betrayal led to patriarch Alex Murdaugh murdering his wife, Maggie, and their son, Paul, in 2021.—
Brianne Tracy,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
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Since the movie's release in September, the relationship between the two has soured and in the weeks leading up to the bond hearing the filmmaker in court filings accused Goudreau of deceit, financial coercion and threatening conduct.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Nov. 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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This 2023 docuseries centers on the Murdaughs, South Carolina's illustrious legal dynasty, whose members were tied to multiple homicides, financial fraud and other alleged crimes.—
James Mercadante,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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According to the State Department, altered passports are among the most common types of passport fraud.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The first accounts of cheating and payoffs during exam week surfaced—a blow to the belief in fairness on which the whole system of guilds depended.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
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As the film begins, a mother (Kim Hye-soo) and her young daughter (Park Yeon-ah) have just moved into a new apartment after Mom caught Dad cheating.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Guile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guile. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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