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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of guile
These assertions go beyond guile, opportunism, cruelty, despair, or self-preservation.
—
Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
Former Heat Fades The 37-year-old right-hander, who broke in with Atlanta as NL Rookie of the Year in 2011, lacks his old velocity but compensates with a combination of guile and experience.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
But the sensational framing obscures what's really happening: design flaws dressed up as intentional guile.
—ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2025
Opening pages show Toews’ characteristic wit and guile squaring off against extraordinary pain.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for guile
Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
Former Heat Fades The 37-year-old right-hander, who broke in with Atlanta as NL Rookie of the Year in 2011, lacks his old velocity but compensates with a combination of guile and experience.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
But the sensational framing obscures what's really happening: design flaws dressed up as intentional guile.
—ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2025
Opening pages show Toews’ characteristic wit and guile squaring off against extraordinary pain.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for guile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guile
Noun
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Because Maradona, in a burst of cunning and trickery, also used his hand.—
Esteban Campanela,
CNN Money,
25 Nov. 2025
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Landing a good apartment in New York City can take some cunning.—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Morgan added that this level of deception would make sense for someone trying to throw people off, like investigators or a potential lawsuit.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
20 Jan. 2026
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Consumer protection law isn’t meant to shield people from every assumption a brand name might invite, but from genuine deception on which a reasonable buyer would rely.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But while the word’s general usage sounds more than a little archaic in the 21st century, its application to a particular kind of deceit prohibited in war remains active law.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
21 Jan. 2026
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Emotional confusion, even deceit, and certainly judgmental attitudes are in the air.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Of course, the retort is that this would be irritating and exasperating to be continually deluged with alerts about AI deceptiveness.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The president and his allies accused Cook of mortgage fraud.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
12 Jan. 2026
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At the same briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt came out swinging at Minnesota Democrats in defense of the ICE agent while touting the Medicaid fraud investigation, which dates back to the Biden administration.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Instead, tax enforcement has been starved, and large-scale cheating has proliferated.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
8 Jan. 2026
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The process seems to be amicable; there was no cheating or abuse.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Guile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guile. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
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