as in villains
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person
he plays the role of the duplicitous knave who tries to foil the play's hero
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knaves
Noun
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Advertisement As many of the best villains do, Ok-seon has a sympathetic backstory.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
3 Oct. 2025 -
Developed and released by Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc, the game allows players to fight and explore as both heroes and villains from the iconic franchise, following a story mode that takes place in the universe’s Final War arc.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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An extermination of the brutes in the Middle East, presided over by Obama’s successors, has been followed by a swift cancellation by Trumpian decree of the postracial age.—
Pankaj Mishra,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
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Some are slow and heavy brutes that have tons of health while others are slightly but deal more damage.—
Gieson Cacho,
Mercury News,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
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On Tuesday, a total of 300 federal agents stormed a South Side apartment building that Department of Homeland Security officials say harbored criminals.—
Laura Daniella Sepulveda,
AZCentral.com,
4 Oct. 2025
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Columns speculated endlessly about the men in Mary’s life, her engagement to Daniel Payne and her connection to local criminals.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Whether or not Alice lived happily ever after, Gertrude seems to have done so, at least once her devils were banished by inscrutability.—
Judith Thurman,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
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Weapons seems to break such cycles, leaving no more devils hiding in basements or upstairs bedrooms playing with dolls or ribbons of hair.—
Richard Newby,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Putting Scooby-Doo and the gang up against real monsters creates some great storytelling opportunities.—
Robert Niles,
Oc Register,
30 Sep. 2025
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Fincher’s take on Flynn’s phenomenon is one of our best literary adaptations of the decade, and while there are no literal monsters in it, there’s nothing spookier than a cool girl.—
Emily Temple
September 30,
Literary Hub,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Swashbucklers, scoundrels, bandits and buccaneers will soon be bellying up to the bar inside a lively new pirate pub at Walt Disney World that’s already booked solid for the first two months and promises to be a must-have reservation for visitors.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
29 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Knaves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knaves. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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