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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Recent Examples of hoodwink
Indiana completely hoodwinked the Thunder in Game 1 with a fourth-quarter comeback and a last-second shot created out of advantageous disorganization.
—
Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 18 June 2025
New Yorkers still take pride in not being easily hoodwinked.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2025
Read: How the CIA hoodwinked Hollywood Washington left his most significant intelligence legacy as the nation’s first president.
—James Santel, The Atlantic, 8 May 2025
For moviegoers hoping to get hoodwinked, the wait is over.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hoodwink
Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 18 June 2025
New Yorkers still take pride in not being easily hoodwinked.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2025
Read: How the CIA hoodwinked Hollywood Washington left his most significant intelligence legacy as the nation’s first president.
—James Santel, The Atlantic, 8 May 2025
For moviegoers hoping to get hoodwinked, the wait is over.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hoodwink
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoodwink
Verb
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Looks can be deceiving, Cali said.—
Bryan Washington,
New Yorker,
7 Sep. 2025
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There is some relief on the way, but do not be deceived.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
Nashville Tennessean,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Hurricanes explained by Ginger Zee Don't be fooled by the lack of tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Basin.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
10 Sep. 2025
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After driving his team to the 1-yard line, Fields fooled the entire Steelers defense on a fourth down, faking a handoff and then high-stepping into the end zone untouched to take a 32-31 lead.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Now the abductees are required to trick others in turn.—
Christine Ro,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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In the hacking campaigns Proofpoint analyzed, cybercriminals attempted to trick users into downloading and installing Stealerium as an attachment or a web link, luring victims with typical bait like a fake payment or invoice.—
Ryan Whitwam,
ArsTechnica,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hoodwink.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoodwink. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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