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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hoodwink
Slow Horses is a twisty show, but the assumption that Roddy had been hoodwinked by a glamorous woman far out of his league seemed about as safe a bet as possible.
—
Scott Tobias, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
However, for your sign, money and possessions are where you might be hoodwinked or not realize what’s going on.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 23 Sep. 2025
But, given the photo was taken a week ago, people raised concerns about a potential attempt to hoodwink the public about the true state of the president's condition.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Approved by voters hoodwinked by false cost estimates, the project was supposed to be operable by 2020 at a cost of $33 billion.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hoodwink
Scott Tobias, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
However, for your sign, money and possessions are where you might be hoodwinked or not realize what’s going on.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 23 Sep. 2025
But, given the photo was taken a week ago, people raised concerns about a potential attempt to hoodwink the public about the true state of the president's condition.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Approved by voters hoodwinked by false cost estimates, the project was supposed to be operable by 2020 at a cost of $33 billion.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hoodwink
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoodwink
Verb
-
Although appearances can be deceiving.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Ah, but appearances can be deceiving.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
To fool us into doubting our most obvious conclusions about how this story will unfold.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Don’t be fooled by the small bowl either.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But a new study suggests that, in certain organs, tumors actively communicate with the brain to trick it into protecting them.—
Jacek Krywko,
Scientific American,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Experts say such scam operations in Cambodia and elsewhere have cheated people around the world out of billions of dollars and tricked people from many countries to work in them under slave-like conditions.—
Sakchai Lalit,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hoodwink.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoodwink. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
