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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of guile
Smalls displayed his guile and courage in the midst of chattel slavery and the Civil War.
—
Ken Makin, Christian Science Monitor, 10 June 2025
While not necessarily with the same resume as Mitchell, Smith’s defensive guile and ability to space the floor with his shooting could stand as a low-cost alternative to Mitchell, likely at the veteran minimum.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 21 May 2025
But here, Gyllenhaal mesmerizes in a career-best performance that taps into the infinite well of his talent, portraying Iago’s scorching resentment, guile and humor.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2025
All of which is to say, Cooper is very good at playing someone adept at persuasion, either through intimidation or guile.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for guile
Ken Makin, Christian Science Monitor, 10 June 2025
While not necessarily with the same resume as Mitchell, Smith’s defensive guile and ability to space the floor with his shooting could stand as a low-cost alternative to Mitchell, likely at the veteran minimum.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 21 May 2025
But here, Gyllenhaal mesmerizes in a career-best performance that taps into the infinite well of his talent, portraying Iago’s scorching resentment, guile and humor.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2025
All of which is to say, Cooper is very good at playing someone adept at persuasion, either through intimidation or guile.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for guile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guile
Noun
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Despite being outnumbered fifty-to-one 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.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
22 July 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.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
24 June 2025
Noun
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Last summer, an exponentially growing audience of fans watched her fall head-over-heels for Brit Aaron Evans, only to be left heartbroken over his deception and sobbing to an entirely too appropriate Sabrina Carpenter song chosen by the show's editors.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
19 July 2025
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Finding The Right Balance The cost of workplace deception is more than just a nasty surprise come employee feedback day.—
Dmitry Malin,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
Noun
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In the 21st century, varying degrees of financial deceit — from the Enron accounting scandal to the devastating consequences of massive Ponzi schemes like the one run by Bernie Madoff — continue to impact people across the country.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
13 July 2025
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Every fraudulent claim becomes part of the data used to set next year’s rates, creating a feedback loop where today’s deceit has the potential to become tomorrow’s financial burden.—
Paulina Wierzbicka,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
Noun
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In a plea deal, Johnson pled guilty to one count of broker-dealer registration violation, a Class C felony, in exchange for the 14 securities fraud counts being dismissed.—
Shelley Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
14 July 2025
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One exception is if the government was able to prove that citizenship was obtained through fraud in the case of naturalization.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Guile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guile. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.
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