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
From encounters with mermaids, the devil and even Robin Hood to themes of superstition and skulduggery, these short tales are perfect escapism to dip in and out of during your summer vacation.
—
Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
This year the skulduggery began early and has been raging for week.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
Obviously, such a system is rife with uncertainty, and the history of the process is full of skulduggery, both on the club and player side.
—Tony Blengino, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Climax became the first ever vegan cheesemaker to win a prestigious Good Food award—though dairy complaints caused the prize to be rescinded at the last minute, with shades of the protectionist, legal skulduggery faced by non-dairy milk products.
—Andrew Rosenblum, Popular Science, 26 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for skulduggery
Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
This year the skulduggery began early and has been raging for week.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
Obviously, such a system is rife with uncertainty, and the history of the process is full of skulduggery, both on the club and player side.
—Tony Blengino, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Climax became the first ever vegan cheesemaker to win a prestigious Good Food award—though dairy complaints caused the prize to be rescinded at the last minute, with shades of the protectionist, legal skulduggery faced by non-dairy milk products.
—Andrew Rosenblum, Popular Science, 26 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for skulduggery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skulduggery
Noun
-
Neither Eliot nor Jules suspected anything, and the ease of the deception added to its pleasing sordidness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Oct. 2025
-
On October 14, those flights revealed missile sites under construction, confirming that Soviet promises had been deliberate deception.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Another recurring feature of the biggest asset booms is outright chicanery, such as fraudulent accounting, the marketing of worthless securities, and plain old stealing.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
-
When Hamilton refused him legal help, Reynolds told all who would listen that the Treasury secretary had masterminded his financial chicanery.—
Jane Kamensky,
The Atlantic,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Unlike the confrontational drudgery of couples therapy — and aiming to avoid the confrontational finality of divorce — this approach relies on subterfuge.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
-
His safe departure from Owensboro was effected [sic] through subterfuge.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The fun bit of trickery worked as Hunt gained 3 yards and got the first down.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
19 Oct. 2025
-
And yet Broncos' run game and offensive trickery isn't working.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The louche festivities provoke dangerous gamesmanship, and scenes with a jazz band and a lively singer (Sophie Oliver) capture the evening’s reckless spirit, as Hedda coaxes couples onto the dance floor and then struts and sashays among and between them.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
17 Oct. 2025
-
What stood out the most to Edman was some subtle gamesmanship.—
Katie Woo,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
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
-
There is a real seriousness to the score — the scheming bad-guy music has the artfulness of Prokofiev, and even the sneaking-around cues have musical integrity and structure.—
Tim Greiving,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Creativity was sorely lacking last season, with the side mustering the lowest xG of any side to avoid relegation, but now an attacking midfield trident of Grealish, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Iliman Ndiaye brims with promise and guile.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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In between is a huge chessboard for honing skills of strategy and guile while catching a tan.—
Mark David,
Robb Report,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Skulduggery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skulduggery. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
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