1
as in prank
a playful or mischievous act intended as a joke
the sort of frat-boy knaveries that become the stuff of campus legend
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in mischief
playful, reckless behavior that is not intended to cause serious harm
suspects some knavery going on in the political campaign
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knavery
Noun
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Doorbell pranks turn deadly This is not the first instance of a ding, dong, ditch prank ending in a shooting.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025 -
But instead of playing soccer with his friends, 11-year-old Julián Guzman will be laid to rest Saturday – exactly one week after a popular children’s prank ended with a fatal gunshot wound to his back.—
Holly Yan,
CNN Money,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Wednesday, of course, is always up to some mischief, bringing Enid in with her.—
Hedy Phillips,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
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Expecting dull days and strict rules, the boy instead stumbles into a world of delightful chaos and imagination – where outrageous stories are spun, and a world of wonder, memory, and mischief unfolds.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Thus, Last Rites tries a new trick, with the doll growing in size and chasing Judy down a hallway, in a sequence that is strangely reminiscent of Five Nights At Freddy's.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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Grandma's favorite time-saving trick is to rely on the trusty the slow-cooker to make sweet, tender onions that require little to no stirring.—
Mary Shannon Wells,
Southern Living,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Still, the pure rascality in these extravagant self-inventions shouldn’t be overlooked.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
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Naturally, such rascality didn't do overall fuel economy any favors; in fact, my average was just 20 mpg (11.8 L/100 km) over the course of 125 miles at the E 350's helm.—
Peter Nelson,
Ars Technica,
18 Apr. 2024
Noun
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That’s flimflam, that’s roguery.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
11 Feb. 2022
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His own father, famously, had been a confidence trickster, and le Carré was therefore all too well equipped to mount a lifelong investigation into the uses of roguery, not to mention sleights of hand, some of them amounting to a national disgrace.—
Anthony Lane,
The New Yorker,
14 Dec. 2020
Noun
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Mustard and vinegar provide the devilment for a flavorful bite, particularly when topped with a scattering of scallions and paprika.—
SAVEUR Editors,
Saveur,
5 Feb. 2025
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But even if truffles are beyond your pay grade, there is plenty of enjoyment to be had in the sheer devilment portrayed in this informative and appetizing book.—
Eugenia Bone,
WSJ,
10 July 2019
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Cite this Entry
“Knavery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knavery. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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