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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in charms
to attract or delight as if by magic
her stories of the Old South could wile anyone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wiles
Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
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
Noun
Determined to find their way back to their humans, the wise Shadow, the sarcastic Sassy, and the impulsive Chance attempt to navigate their way home using only their wiles and each other.
—Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
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
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The New York Colored American reported that some offers of short-term work for Black men — moving livestock to or from Kentucky, for example — were ruses that ended with kidnappings.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Many suspect a spam call and don't pick up the phone, leading foundation staff to sometimes devise ruses.—
Kelly Meyerhofer,
jsonline.com,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the remote Westfjords, Isafjordur delivers dramatic mountains and a sense of isolation that feels worlds away from the capital, while on the east coast, Seyðisfjörður charms visitors with its artistic culture.—
David Nikel,
Forbes.com,
17 Jan. 2026
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Although there may not be snow on the ground, the area still charms with its Alpine vistas, green meadows, and waterfalls, such as Staubbach Falls, the third-highest waterfall in Switzerland.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Officials say the scammers' schemes range from the savvy to the sloppy -- and all are brazen.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
In Minnesota, investigators and journalists have raised serious questions about fraud schemes tied to networks that disproportionately benefited non-citizens, while the families actually paying into the system were left footing the bill.—
Jennifer Nassour,
Boston Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Every year, the actor surprises and delights us with her choice of costume, paying homage to Pamela Anderson one year and channeling Queen Amidala the next.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Across the other devices, both Mac and Wearables, Home & Accessories sales declined year over year, while the market anticipated slight growth.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Micro-robots and devices To demonstrate practical applications, the team fabricated several working devices.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
How golfers rely on — and leverage — technology fascinates Skenes, from the numbers culled relative to swing speed and ball flight to how their bodies must be in sync to generate so much club speed.—
Tribune News Service,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 Jan. 2026
-
What fascinates me as a writer is what is sometimes left out of the historical record, what gets tucked away in odd places.—
Stuart Miller,
Oc Register,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Our focus on our own ingroup makes our brains play tricks on us.—
Dev Patnaik,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Just another one of his show-stopping tricks.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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If there are too many items on your list that no longer engage or excite you, one career resolution for 2026 could be to write yourself a new job description and negotiate with your manager to do more of what interests you.—
Caroline Ceniza-Levine,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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Choose a specific cause that interests your kids and give back together.—
Christine Michel Carter,
Parents,
17 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wiles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wiles. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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