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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Recent Examples of guile
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
That was true at the City Ground, with the Forest’s captain’s cunning and guile repeatedly threatening to unlock Arsenal’s stubborn defence.
—James McNicholas, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
Whatever Van Nistelrooy has seen in training that has left him using the young Argentine so sparingly must be serious because the Brighton loanee is a player with guile and graft.
—Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 21 Feb. 2025
The former Watford midfielder brings energy to the press but lacks guile, and with his contract up at the end of the season, the 32-year-old looks like a stop-gap.
—Patrick Boyland, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for guile
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 9 Mar. 2025
That was true at the City Ground, with the Forest’s captain’s cunning and guile repeatedly threatening to unlock Arsenal’s stubborn defence.
—James McNicholas, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
Whatever Van Nistelrooy has seen in training that has left him using the young Argentine so sparingly must be serious because the Brighton loanee is a player with guile and graft.
—Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 21 Feb. 2025
The former Watford midfielder brings energy to the press but lacks guile, and with his contract up at the end of the season, the 32-year-old looks like a stop-gap.
—Patrick Boyland, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for guile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guile
Noun
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The chief specimen here (played by MMA fighter Chi Lewis-Parry) is a massive beast whose brute strength is matched by his cunning.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
18 June 2025
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On the other end of the spectrum was the more docile Kelly who often felt conflicted when her morals clashed with the cunning needed to succeed in the game.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
27 May 2025
Noun
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This stylization gives her a veneer of being disarmingly kind; but ultimately, is a form of deception that caused Sophie to fatally trust this person.—
Tiffany Leigh,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
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Codenamed Operation Midnight Hammer, the overnight mission relied on deception, aerial refueling, and near-total radio silence to hit Iran's Fordo and Natanz enrichment facilities—sites that had withstood weeks of sustained Israeli attacks.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
Noun
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But the level of deceit of this entire plan is mind-boggling.—
Inga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 June 2025
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The defense’s case largely rests on accusations that the investigation into O’Keefe’s death was mired by deceit, incompetence and bias.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
10 June 2025
Noun
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Criminals that are able to gain access to passwords put up for sale on the dark web are able to use them for identify theft, fraud, and even blackmail.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
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The truth is that almost all the fraud, waste and abuse in the health care system comes from the billing and payment processes and skyrocketing prices, not from people who rely on Medicaid for essential care.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Guile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guile. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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