as in mischievous
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness
a knavish bunch of urchins racing pell-mell through the marketplace
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Recent Examples of knavish
Wells could be playful, knavish, and his tone here is one of urgency and optimism about the distribution of information.
—
BostonGlobe.com, 30 July 2021
The same people who are now telling us that only Republican-voting obscurantists, ignorant deplorables and knavish right-wing media pundits are raising doubts about the vaccine would have been oozing skepticism.
—Gerard Baker, WSJ, 12 July 2021
BostonGlobe.com, 30 July 2021
The same people who are now telling us that only Republican-voting obscurantists, ignorant deplorables and knavish right-wing media pundits are raising doubts about the vaccine would have been oozing skepticism.
—Gerard Baker, WSJ, 12 July 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knavish
Adjective
-
His mischievous-urchin phase was short-lived.—
David Kamp,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Those mischievous Minions will have their Olympic moment after all.—
Dave Skretta,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The winds that kick up this time of year proved wicked.—
Jacques Kelly,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Mimics tells the story of Sam, a struggling impressionist who makes a pact with a wicked puppet.—
Rebecca Angel Baer,
Southern Living,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Super Bowl Sunday, Olandria Carthen and Nic Vansteenberghe both posted Instagram Stories from the game, including one playful video of the two of them together in their hotel room.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
9 Feb. 2026
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The fragrance opens with a playful burst of juicy raspberry before folding into warm vanilla blossom, eventually settling into a smooth veil of cashmere musk that feels cozy without ever becoming heavy.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knavish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knavish. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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