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hoodwinking 1 of 2

noun

as in fooling

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hoodwinking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of hoodwink
as in tricking
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

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 hoodwinking
Verb
Stadiums are notorious for their lack of multiplier impact, which is one reason these days why sports team owners, such as the McCaskey family that controls the Bears, have such a hard time hoodwinking governments into giving them direct subsidies to build their stadiums. — David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoodwinking
  1. fooling
  2. tricking
  3. ruse
  4. deceiving
  5. subterfuge
  6. deception
  7. trickery
  8. stratagem
Noun
  • No fooling, April brings some pretty interesting surprises on Netflix.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Definition of fooling
Verb
  • Wardle found that a simple variation of ClickFix attack—a technique that has become remarkably effective in tricking people into infecting their devices—is all that’s required for an attacker to take control of a Muse account.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Exhaust fumes mimic the smells of decaying organic matter, tricking lovebugs looking for nesting grounds.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of tricking
Noun
  • Litton had apparently set up a similar ruse at another small Seventh-day Adventist school, this one in Red Bluff, about 70 miles northwest of Oroville, sheriff’s officials said.
    — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 2026
  • One such ruse, revealed by The Athletic in August 2024, involved a team of pickpockets being hired to teach his squad the importance of being ready, alert and prepared at all times.
    — Art de Roché, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of ruse
Verb
  • The Bucs couldn’t ask for a better bounce-back opponent after dropping their opener in Cincy, a somewhat deceiving result because of all the Baker Mayfield turnovers.
    — Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The public deserves to know which of his points were defensible and which were deceiving.
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of deceiving
Noun
  • This subterfuge makes sense, since what these people reveal implicates their superiors.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The cover art sets it up perfectly, a dreamlike subterfuge that transforms the Villarreals into mythological Greek heroines.
    — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of subterfuge
Noun
  • These are two examples of politicians' truths among a plethora of others that are really lies, distortions, deceptions and desecrations of the citizens' trust in them.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
  • In the acquisition space, the Nats traded Jake Bennett, who sits 93 and relies on deception and command, to the Red Sox for Luis Perales, who sits 99 with a gnarly splitter.
    — Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of deception
Noun
  • Carolina also tried some trickery, putting starting wide receiver Jalen Coker back for punt returns.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Hackers have long used trickery to bait users into installing malware or giving up their passwords.
    — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of trickery
Noun
  • There’s a delightful secret history of Hollywood directors whose ruses and stratagems bought them an unusual amount of leeway with their scripts.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Through Elizabeth’s rise from servant to visionary who resisted Henry VIII’s break with the Roman Catholic Church to gain a divorce, Brown explores historical women’s stratagems for self-determination.
    — Monitor reviewers, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Apr. 2026
Definition of stratagem

Browse Nearby Words

hoodwinked
hoodwinking
hoodwinks
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Cite this Entry

“Hoodwinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoodwinking. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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