variants
or skullduggery
as in deception
the use of clever underhanded actions to achieve an end
the company's apparently healthy bottom line was merely an illusion, the result of years of accounting skulduggery
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of skulduggery
There was much more to it than that, including some skullduggery along the way.
—
Kansas City Star, 22 Dec. 2025
The music industry is a notoriously cutthroat business, rife with tales of backstabbing and skullduggery.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 16 Dec. 2025
And though O’Neil, who has been inside, says the building itself is in no shape for skullduggery, that doesn’t mean said skullduggery isn’t happening elsewhere.
—A.k. Whitney, Oc Register, 9 Sep. 2025
The American people are seeking solace and inspiration from its leaders, not pettiness and skullduggery.
—Chicago Tribune, 10 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for skulduggery
Kansas City Star, 22 Dec. 2025
The music industry is a notoriously cutthroat business, rife with tales of backstabbing and skullduggery.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 16 Dec. 2025
And though O’Neil, who has been inside, says the building itself is in no shape for skullduggery, that doesn’t mean said skullduggery isn’t happening elsewhere.
—A.k. Whitney, Oc Register, 9 Sep. 2025
The American people are seeking solace and inspiration from its leaders, not pettiness and skullduggery.
—Chicago Tribune, 10 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for skulduggery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skulduggery
Noun
-
The Stolen Girl series follows a mother whose young daughter goes missing after a sleepover, unfolding into a story of deception, family secrets, and betrayal.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
24 Feb. 2026
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That endorsement comes from someone who has watched every moment of every season’s deception and strategy unfold.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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After Thomas Hickey was hanged that year for mutiny, sedition and treachery, Washington warned that his fate should serve as a caution to all soldiers.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
26 Feb. 2026
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With their leader detained, El Mayo’s sicarios, or hit men, declared war against supporters of Chapo’s sons in an attempt to exact vengeance for the treachery and strengthen their own position in the wider organization.—
Daniel DePetris,
Mercury News,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
That said, there are plenty of reasons — none involving any kind of partisan chicanery — that explain why California elections seems to drag on and vote totals shift as ballots are steadily counted.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
That said, there are plenty of reasons — none involving any kind of partisan chicanery — that explain why California elections seems to drag on and vote totals shift as ballots are steadily counted.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Both nations are among the tournament's top contenders, which made the last few practices stateside simmering with subterfuge.—
Ren Clayton,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
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The anti-ICE movement seems to be more of a subterfuge by those who oppose immigration restrictions in general.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
There’s almost nothing in the way of metaphor or trickery.—
Olivier Lafontant,
Pitchfork,
25 Feb. 2026
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Such trickery to assign great value to low-worth materials also underpins the surprise ending for The Girl Who Cried Pearls, which follows a poor boy falling in love with a girl overwhelmed by sorrow to the point her tears turn into pearls.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Of course, the retort is that this would be irritating and exasperating to be continually deluged with alerts about AI deceptiveness.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Noun
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But the gamesmanship, foreshadowing the adulterous antics of Harold Pinter’s plays, escalates perilously.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
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Voters will get a chance to reject anti-democratic gamesmanship in an April referendum.—
Editorial Board,
Washington Post,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Maxwell’s attorneys said the Justice Department obtained the documents — otherwise subject to secrecy orders — improperly during its criminal investigation of Maxwell.—
Michael R. Sisak,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
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The Justice Department recently asked a judge to lift secrecy requirements on the files.—
Michael R. Sisak,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skulduggery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skulduggery. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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