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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With wit and cunning, the protagonists navigate the ever-present systems of oppression that encircle them and their relationships.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 June 2025 -
President Trump does not exhibit Bismarck’s cunning, inscrutability, or proclivity for complicated diplomacy.—
Charles C. W. Cooke,
National Review,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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In the suit, filed Friday, Newsom says that Fox News had used deceptive edits to claim that the governor had lied in saying that Trump had not called him about deploying National Guard troops during the L.A. protests.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
27 June 2025
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Florida is leading the way in what can become a national movement to crack down on hospitals’ deceptive and unfair billing practices.—
Cynthia A. Fisher,
Sun Sentinel,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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Amazon is stocked with tons of cute coin purses that capture the kawaii aesthetic of Japanese street style.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
25 June 2025
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Sourced from our favorite spots like J.Crew, Gap, Nordstrom Rack, and Amazon, these linen pieces are high quality and cute.—
Jeaneen Russell,
People.com,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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Execution: With these tools in place, fraudsters can open fraudulent accounts, apply for loans and carry out high-value transactions, all while appearing completely legitimate.—
Parya Lotfi,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
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This includes Amazon allowing small businesses to make multiple appeals when fighting a fraudulent return.—
Katie Tarasov,
CNBC,
21 June 2025
Adjective
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When paired to a non-Huawei phone, audio quality still sounds good, but has a subtle loss of depth.—
Ben Sin,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
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Counsell’s subtle influences can be seen in the standings.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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In the back garden, for example, there’s a shady grove with hammocks and low seating that is one of the couple’s favorite places to enjoy quiet moments.—
Katia Contreras,
Architectural Digest,
19 June 2025
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Best Types of Hibiscus for Hummingbirds Hibiscus plants come in a range of options—from native perennials to tropical annuals—all of which attract hummingbirds and are suited for sunny to partly shady spaces, says Myers.—
Anne Readel,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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What Pete Rose did was selfish, illicit, shameful, crooked.—
John Nogowski,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2025
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Meanwhile, a crooked wayfarer named St. Christophe (Jackson) is hot on Broadway’s trail, catching up with the young man and revealing that his dead dad wasn’t, in fact, a stand-up guy.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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Avoid generic, spammy tactics, over-automation or dishonest ploys.—
Samuel Darwin,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
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The reasons for such concerns start with the shockingly dishonest campaign for Proposition 1A, the 2008 state ballot measure allocating $9.95 billion in bond seed money for a network of bullet trains linking Los Angeles and San Francisco.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 June 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Guileful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guileful. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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