as in to deceive
to cause to believe what is untrue
Tom Sawyer famously hoodwinked the other boys into thinking there was nothing more enjoyable than whitewashing a fence
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hoodwink
For moviegoers hoping to get hoodwinked, the wait is over.
—
Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 1 May 2025
When Biden badly botched the debate, inflaming fears about his age, donors felt the campaign continued to hoodwink them, despite outwardly expressing their concerns to aides.
—Amie Parnes, The Hill, 24 Feb. 2025
Both lawsuits argue that the news outlets deliberately hoodwinked the public, in violation of state consumer protection laws.
—New York Times, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2025
Haider staged a fake murder in an apparent effort to hoodwink Abbas and his bosses.
—Renee Maltezou, Cassell Bryan-Low, Yannis Souliotis and Phil Stewart, USA TODAY, 6 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for hoodwink
Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 1 May 2025
When Biden badly botched the debate, inflaming fears about his age, donors felt the campaign continued to hoodwink them, despite outwardly expressing their concerns to aides.
—Amie Parnes, The Hill, 24 Feb. 2025
Both lawsuits argue that the news outlets deliberately hoodwinked the public, in violation of state consumer protection laws.
—New York Times, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2025
Haider staged a fake murder in an apparent effort to hoodwink Abbas and his bosses.
—Renee Maltezou, Cassell Bryan-Low, Yannis Souliotis and Phil Stewart, USA TODAY, 6 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for hoodwink
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoodwink
Verb
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The person is not trying to deceive or control, but the behavior still affects others and requires self awareness and growth to correct.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
27 June 2025
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Where was this sense of urgency when the mullahs were attempting to deceive U.N. inspectors while sandbagging U.S. efforts to diplomatically scuttle the country’s nuclear efforts?—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
21 June 2025
Verb
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While denim remains a primary component of global fashion at every price point, don’t let its ubiquity and casual vibe fool you.—
Simon Mainwaring,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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But don’t let its impressive storage space fool you — the case folds in on itself to create a compact roll that’s easy to stow in suitcases and handbags.—
Clara McMahon,
People.com,
28 June 2025
Verb
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Madeline is pissed that Riri brought that kind of energy into their sacred space and Ronnie is mad at Riri for tricking her into getting her there then embarrassing her in front of company.—
Stacia Brown,
Vulture,
2 July 2025
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Social engineering and phishing: Scammers trick users into giving away their contact information.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hoodwink.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoodwink. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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