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
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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Comte’s feature directorial debut follows Quebec teenager Antoine, who travels to Ghana for a showdown with Kojo, a local gang member, amid an escalating game of deception.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The Portage case is different, as the subcontractor and his co-conspirators are accused of deception in their failure to deliver the televisions to warehouses.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Perfidy — from the French perfidie via the Latin perfidia — means deceitfulness, treachery or a breach of faith or promise.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
21 Jan. 2026
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But despite all this, not every Chelsea fan outside his family will regard this transfer as treachery.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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
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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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Voters will get a chance to reject anti-democratic gamesmanship in an April referendum.—
Editorial Board,
Washington Post,
7 Feb. 2026
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Much like the character that brought him instant fame, Waltz loves the gamesmanship that comes with a villainous turn.—
William Earl,
Variety,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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This culture of secrecy starts at the top.—
John Deaton,
Boston Herald,
16 Feb. 2026
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Yacht deals tend to be shrouded in secrecy, with the names of the buyers and sellers intentionally concealed to protect the privacy and security of the ultra-wealthy.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skulduggery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skulduggery. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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