WILES Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

wiles 1 of 2

noun

plural of wile

as in ruses

a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end had to use all of her wiles to convince her guests to stay for dinner

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wiles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of wile

as in charms

to attract or delight as if by magic her stories of the Old South could wile anyone

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of wiles

Noun

What follows is a modern picaresque journey, in which a clever underdog has to rely on her wit and wiles to survive a corrupt and perilous world. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026 The teaser shows Jordan as Crown pulling off a number of dangerous stunts against a backdrop of slick cities, breathtaking landscapes, and museums with top-of-the-line security measures that can’t stand up against the wiles of his debonair thievery. — Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 29 July 2026 Penelope is Odysseus’ equal, in cunning, in stubbornness, in wiles. — Literary Hub, 17 July 2026 The format has an all-powerful ‘Taskmaster’ who, with the help of a loyal assistant, tests the wiles of a panel of comedians over the course of each series by setting them weird and wonderful challenges. — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2026 Jimin Han’s graceful novel reimagines the legend of Chunhyang and Mongryong, Korea’s version of Romeo and Juliet, as 30-year-old Dahee seeks to protect her cousin Channing from the wiles of a Korean American community in New England. — Hamilton Cain, Time, 4 Apr. 2026 A’zion, as the protagonist’s married lover, who can match his manipulative wiles beat for beat, conveys an exciting, bittersweet sense of the wheels turning beneath deceptive surfaces. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2026 That Hedda has forged such a life for herself is a testament to her wiles — no one is more adept at delivering acidic barbs cloaked by a friendly hand on the shoulder. — Abby Monteil, Them., 28 Oct. 2025 Seeing Laura’s discomfort with her, Cherry employs her feminine wiles to cause a fracture in Laura and Daniel’s connection. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 10 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wiles

Noun

There’s a delightful secret history of Hollywood directors whose ruses and stratagems bought them an unusual amount of leeway with their scripts.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
Even before pro-party AI ruses were possible, the Chinese government and its supporters flooded social media with pro-China propaganda and vicious attacks on critics.

— Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026

Definition of ruses

Verb

But like a bolt of lightning from Zeus himself, Page instantly charms us from his first swig of SunnyD, creating a character whose quippy armor hides a sensitive soul longing for meaningful connection.

— Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 19 July 2026
Vibeke charms his in-laws, coos over the baby and, according to Karl’s quick furtive search of her handbag, appears to be taking her meds.

— Jessica Kiang, Variety, 7 July 2026

Definition of charms

Noun

Meanwhile, frontier labs are pushing forward with their own self-regulatory schemes, which will ask them to agree on testing standards in a highly competitive environment.

— Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 25 Sep. 2026
The schemes often use fictitious romantic relationships to persuade victims to transfer money to an investment opportunity recommended by the fraudsters.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of schemes

Noun

These devices, and more than a dozen others, are included in the latest update of STAT’s Breakthrough Device Tracker, which since 2022 has captured nearly 800 devices reported to have FDA breakthrough status.

— Katie Palmer, STAT, 29 Sep. 2026
The Chinese list of US products that will be subject to lower tariffs covers 1,619 items, including corn, wheat, frozen meat, seafood, wood products, cosmetics and medical devices, according to a list published by the White House.

— Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of devices

Verb

What fascinates me most isn't simply whether Wagner can squeeze 621 miles out of this massive battery.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
Gauna has filmed hundreds, maybe thousands of great white sharks across Southern California, and still their every movement, every action, fascinates him.

— Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of fascinates

Noun

While some of its high-level LLM tricks are downright goofy, essential features like live captions, translations, and mini-map navigation perform admirably.

— Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 28 Sep. 2026
Collier has been up to her old tricks, scoring in bunches and contributing a ton of rebounds.

— David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of tricks

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“Wiles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wiles. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of wiles

noun

verb

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