1
as in cunning
clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means
tried to fix the game with a guileful plot to sabotage the other team's bats, but the umpire caught them
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deceptive
given to or marked by cheating and deception
received a guileful answer when I asked the dealer if the used car had ever been in a collision
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guileful
Adjective
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Michelle is more cunning, figuring out how to play these two to her whims, while Teddy struggles to prove her extraterrestrial origins.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
24 Oct. 2025 -
Your words can be sharp and cunning today.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
-
Mankinlu Maple Leaf Solar Pathway Lights As daylight starts to fade earlier, these cute pathway lights add both charm and function to your yard.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The easiest fix for the age-old struggle between cute and comfy?—
Mia Huelsbeck,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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
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Featuring a subtle kick flare at the hem and chic pintuck detailing, they’re designed to hit right under the calf, or just at the ankle for petite people like myself.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Oct. 2025
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Adding parsnips and turnips to the recipe gives the dish a subtle earthy flavor that perfectly complements the savory chicken.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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Poulaines hurt the wearer’s feet and could make their toe bones crooked.—
Michael Watson,
The Conversation,
20 Oct. 2025
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Barry Cooper, the colorful former police officer turned scourge of crooked cops, couldn’t attend the screening of a new film about him at the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival in Arkansas.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Matthiessen, not without reason, portrays the Bureau as paranoid, dishonest, and in league with corporate interests.—
Maggie Doherty,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
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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
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Cite this Entry
“Guileful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guileful. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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