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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Maigret must outwit some of Paris’s most cunning and violent criminals, while dealing with his own troubled past.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
1 Oct. 2025 -
These subsidies were cunning, part of a decades-long effort to keep alive the myths that offshore wind energy is nearly self-sufficient and generates increasingly inexpensive electricity.—
Craig Rucker,
Boston Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Specifically, the four customers argued that Hershey's violated Florida Deceptive And Unfair Trade Practices Act, which is designed to protect Floridians from unfair competition, deceptive acts and unethical practices.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
26 Sep. 2025
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In recent years, users have increasingly been taking to court to challenge allegedly deceptive practices by Amazon.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The brand’s Deep Trance Corduroy Pants are also a cute option to wear with some boots and a pea or trench coat this season.—
Shawna Hudson,
StyleCaster,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Best Toy for Imaginative Play Plant the seeds of creative play with this trio of plush toy veggies that are too cute to eat.—
Pamela Brill,
Parents,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Throughout the enrollment process, there was no reason to believe the official birth certificate was fraudulent.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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One plaintiff claimed their debit card was allegedly used for $80 in fraudulent charges.—
Chase Jordan
October 2,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In a subtler interpretation of the trend, the Jazz bookshelf is handcrafted in oak that takes on a golden hue when hit with the right light.—
Rachel Gallaher,
Robb Report,
4 Oct. 2025
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Cohen and other researchers have identified many subtle fixes that improve kids’ eating habits.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But when a mysterious and powerful agent disrupts the negotiations, Brahim discovers the shady side of the business.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
1 Oct. 2025
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Remove a few overhead tree branches if your planting site is too shady.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Most playoff games are often decided by big moments and managerial decisions, not crooked numbers and tired relievers.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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The show, which followed a crooked New Mexican lawyer, played by Bob Odenkirk, was an archly funny drama, shot partly in gritty black-and-white.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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No wonder de Lesseps became a national pariah whose name was synonymous with dishonest incompetence.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Sep. 2025
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These are cheap, dishonest shots against a great intellect, acknowledged by friends and opponents alike.—
James Gaylord,
Oc Register,
15 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Guileful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guileful. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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