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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of skulduggery
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
The Poetry Society becomes the Autobiographical Association, whose ridiculous members write their memoirs under the supervision of the director, a snooty character clearly conniving to use their confessions for some sort of skulduggery.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 10 Aug. 2025
Modern network security naturally aims to prevent this kind of skullduggery.
—PC Magazine, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for skulduggery
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
The Poetry Society becomes the Autobiographical Association, whose ridiculous members write their memoirs under the supervision of the director, a snooty character clearly conniving to use their confessions for some sort of skulduggery.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 10 Aug. 2025
Modern network security naturally aims to prevent this kind of skullduggery.
—PC Magazine, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for skulduggery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skulduggery
Noun
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Named one of the 10 Best Books of 2025 by The New York Times, Angel Down follows Private Cyril Bagger, who has managed to survive the unspeakable horrors of WWI through his wits and deception, swindling fellow soldiers at every opportunity.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
26 Jan. 2026
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The drama about power, deception, and the complex bond between father and son is set in 1930s New York as international financier Gregor Antonescu’s empire faces collapse.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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With season 4 rapidly approaching, now's the time to prepare for the treachery to come.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Dec. 2025
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Instead of being killed, Ashur takes Spartacus’ life and is consequently rewarded for his treachery by the Roman Empire.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
1 Dec. 2025
Noun
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But even as skeptics label Strategy and the DAT model as a house of cards built on financial chicanery, others view them as early leaders in an emerging category of crypto banks.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
3 Dec. 2025
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The tale away from the playing field in recent years has been dizzying, one of soaring costs and debts, of quirks and chicanery unseen elsewhere.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Smiley, working with his colleague Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch) narrows his inquiry to five men, including Bill Haydon (Colin Firth) and Roy Bland (Ciarán Hinds), using clever subterfuge and maneuvering to get the truth.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
15 Jan. 2026
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Political pressure and subterfuge to extend American influence, perhaps combined with a bid to buy the island, seem more plausible but are unlikely to work.—
Comfort Ero,
Time,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Just like the ClickFix attacks, this malicious trickery is all about running commands that almost all users would never think to do in normal circumstances.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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While there’s a little studio trickery, like a drum part taped at a slower tempo but sped up to the BPM in the recording, the rest was due to a perspective shift.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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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Political gamesmanship This week, council members were accused of trying to replace their current coordinator, Laurent Saint-Cyr, who did not back attempts to get rid of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
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Something more and something extra in no small part because of Stewart, whose senses of showmanship and gamesmanship animated and fueled the rivalry for so long.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
6 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Privacy is about agency, not secrecy Privacy isn’t about hiding.—
Tony Bradley,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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But the secrecy of a parent or grandparent can inflict its own potent wounds.—
Ruth Madievsky,
The Atlantic,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skulduggery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skulduggery. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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