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
Relevance
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
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 guile
In other districts, however, the wealthy pastoralists managed by guile and financial manipulation to evade the land acts, and very many of them acquired freeholds to large estates at low prices, especially in the fertile Western District.
—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
19 Mar. 2026
Matching Casey and Frank’s guile is Philomac’s untested self-confidence.
—
Ritesh Mehta,
IndieWire,
20 Feb. 2026
While the Heat have a variety of youthful options in their backcourt hierarchy ahead of Young, from the defensive guile of Davion Mitchell, to the youthful creativity of Kasparas Jakucionis, to the veteran steadiness of Dru Smith, Young is the type of speed guard rarely featured by the franchise.
—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Feb. 2026
What was once done by indirection and guile is now carried with the high hand, in the face of day, at the mouth of the cannon and by the edge of the sabre of the nation.
—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for guile
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
19 Mar. 2026
Matching Casey and Frank’s guile is Philomac’s untested self-confidence.
—
Ritesh Mehta,
IndieWire,
20 Feb. 2026
While the Heat have a variety of youthful options in their backcourt hierarchy ahead of Young, from the defensive guile of Davion Mitchell, to the youthful creativity of Kasparas Jakucionis, to the veteran steadiness of Dru Smith, Young is the type of speed guard rarely featured by the franchise.
—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Feb. 2026
What was once done by indirection and guile is now carried with the high hand, in the face of day, at the mouth of the cannon and by the edge of the sabre of the nation.
—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for guile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guile
Noun
-
Unable to outrun the Bitchfist, the Hand earns his reputation for cunning and courage.
-
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.
Noun
-
So, that's a kind of deception.
-
The county argues the grand jury fundamentally misunderstood what happened before the explosion, saying its investigation relied on speculation instead of evidence and wrongly blamed county officials for a criminal enterprise prosecutors say was built on years of deception.
Noun
-
The original trial was found to be invalid due to fraud and deceit.
-
And with that comes deceit and manipulation.
Noun
-
Of course, the retort is that this would be irritating and exasperating to be continually deluged with alerts about AI deceptiveness.
-
Beyond the deceptiveness of the narrow material view, spiritual light and hope are always present to be found and felt.
Noun
-
Antisocial personality includes a persistent pattern of traits such as callousness, lack of concern, deceitfulness, and irresponsibility, Ryan said.
-
Perfidy — from the French perfidie via the Latin perfidia — means deceitfulness, treachery or a breach of faith or promise.
Noun
-
David Vander Meer, 49, was being held at Clark County Detention Center on first-degree murder and insurance fraud charges stemming from the death of his wife, Bernadette, two decades ago.
-
According to prosecutors, Eidleh deposited more than $5 million in fraud proceeds, kickbacks and bribes into accounts associated with shell companies in an effort to conceal the source of the money.
Noun
-
Other research on high school cheating found in 2020 that 64% of 70,000 high school students across the country admitted to cheating on a test, and 58% admitted to plagiarism.
-
Other research on high school cheating found in 2020 that 64% of 70,000 high school students across the country admitted to cheating on a test, and 58% admitted to plagiarism.
Cite this Entry
“Guile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guile. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
