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the first ever vegan cheesemaker to win a prestigious Good Food award—though dairy complaints caused the prize to be rescinded at the last minute, with shades of the protectionist, legal skulduggery faced by non-dairy milk products.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the first ever vegan cheesemaker to win a prestigious Good Food award—though dairy complaints caused the prize to be rescinded at the last minute, with shades of the protectionist, legal skulduggery faced by non-dairy milk products.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
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In a chilling case of deception and domestic violence, what appeared to be months of stalking by an ex-boyfriend turned out to be an elaborate scheme orchestrated by a Colorado woman's own husband, culminating in her murder just days before Christmas.—
Doc Louallen,
ABC News,
26 Sep. 2025
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Methods include propaganda, deception, sabotage and other non-military tactics, the alliance says.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Democrats have stood still for this chicanery every time it’s been tried in the past.—
Thomas Elias,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The trial was a kangaroo circus packed with sophism, subterfuge, and courtroom chicanery.—
Manuel Muñoz,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The act of subterfuge was particularly common in the 2000s, amidst America’s unpopular foreign policy and the country’s invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq.—
Vivian Song,
CNN Money,
18 Sep. 2025
-
The trial was a kangaroo circus packed with sophism, subterfuge, and courtroom chicanery.—
Manuel Muñoz,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Sooners won 24-17 over the Tigers, thanks in part to trickery on an Isaiah Sategna III wide-open touchdown.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
21 Sep. 2025
-
Corona del Mar used some trickery to take the lead on the ensuing possession.—
Michael Huntley,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But Herrero, of the Cuba Study Group, argued that this kind of rhetoric is better understood as electoral gamesmanship.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
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Anyone who doubts his resolve and dedication - especially when Charlie was such a close friend to him- simply is using this extremely sad moment in a disgusting act of political gamesmanship.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
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
-
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
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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 6 Oct. 2025.
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