1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

underhandedness

noun

Definition of underhandednessnext
as in treachery

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for underhandedness
  1. treachery
  2. deviousness
  3. sneakiness
  4. shrewdness
  5. slyness
  6. subterfuge
  7. chicanery
  8. skulduggery
Noun
  • Was there a whiff of treachery among this crew, someone who might betray them to the Germans?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 31 Aug. 2026
  • For his treachery in conspiring with Gwayne, Daemon claims Corlys as his own prisoner.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of treachery
Noun
  • The piece urges critical inquiry into such claims, emphasizing that human oversight, not AI's inherent deviousness, can be a sizable contributor.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The rules allowed offensive linemen to grapple and hold the bottom of their shoulder pads with savvy bordering on deviousness.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 24 July 2026
Definition of deviousness
Noun
  • In The Executioners, and the 1962 and 1991 film adaptations of that novel, Cady is a predator specifically of women — even more specifically, young women — and he’s known for this, more so than his sneakiness, cleverness, or time served.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 26 June 2026
Definition of sneakiness
Noun
  • Spain’s shrewdness came in their refusal to engage with off-the-ball trivialities.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • Instead, Franklin will rise by virtue of hard work and (actual) shrewdness.
    — John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
Definition of shrewdness
Noun
  • The harp is not an instrument of slyness, wryness, or the earth.
    — Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Like the tricksters of myth, there’s depth to their slyness.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 5 Feb. 2026
Definition of slyness
Noun
  • The cover art sets it up perfectly, a dreamlike subterfuge that transforms the Villarreals into mythological Greek heroines.
    — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The subterfuge involved him stowing away in an airport catering container to sneak onto the jet.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of subterfuge
Noun
  • Some felt that Ballmer was too smart to be involved in this sort of chicanery.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2026
  • This chicanery is the reason that many secure email services simply don't display images by default.
    — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of chicanery
Noun
  • There are no federal protections against this skullduggery, and only 10 states have enacted dedicated statutes to combat the problem, according to Equity Protect.
    — Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Few would begrudge Paraguay this recognition, but the skullduggery did produce eye-rolls and requires stronger officiating.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of skulduggery
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

underhandedly
underhandedness
underlain
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Underhandedness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underhandedness. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of watershed

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All