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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Like the Red Ring goons at the bar, villains all over the city are more juiced up than ever, made stronger by enhancements provided by Shroud.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025 -
Plus, there's plenty of new heroes and villains to root for and against.—
EW Staff,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Nov. 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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The trio has a surprisingly good theory about the implosion of the makeshift Astral Pulse; seems like Shroud never found the original, and someone has been outfitting low-level criminals with bootlegs that are going awry like Robert’s.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
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With spoofing tools, criminals can mimic real bank phone numbers and even use AI to reproduce familiar voices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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And then there are the infernal workers who make sure that Lucifer’s realm runs smoothly, among them farting devils, giants in chains, and a flying monster with the body of a serpent and the face of an honest man.—
Eric Bulson,
The Atlantic,
2 Jan. 2026
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In odd years, the company produces the story of a group of pastores making a perilous trek to Bethlehem to pay their respects to the Holy Manger while fighting devils and their powerful leader Luzbel.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
25 Nov. 2025
Noun
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In Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the Disney+ series adapted from Rick Riordan's bestselling book series, Walker Scobell plays the titular character, a demigod navigating the dangerous world of gods and monsters.—
Julia Moore,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
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This bakery, which has been serving Louisville since 1924, offers a wide variety of Mardi Gras items, from King Cakes to cookies, thumbprints, cupcakes and the popular cookie monsters.—
Gege Reed,
Louisville Courier Journal,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Giannis, a gentleman even in this era of scoundrels, likely wants to do right by the Bucks, too.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
3 Dec. 2025
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These twin influences, religious fervor and a preoccupation with dangerous men, would go on to define the next six decades of the director’s working life, finding expression as a conviction that even scoundrels are in possession of a soul.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
31 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Knaves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knaves. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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