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
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2026
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
Noun
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
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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One part of the show that didn’t align with this viewpoint was the casting of Tanzyn Crawford as Tanselle, a traveling performer from Dorne who charms Dunk, and some on social media have griped about the actress being in the show.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Mar. 2026
-
As Sophie Baek, the Cinderella-style housemaid of illegitimate birth who charms the latest eligible Bridgerton bachelor, Ha is exquisite.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Mitchell said the Cavs’ offense has changed, a little, to incorporate Harden’s isolation dominance, but also said Harden has fit into their original schemes.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Somewhere along the way, these schemes stopped rewarding loyalty and started exploiting it.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
3 Apr. 2026
-
This classic combination of chocolate pudding, crushed sandwich cookies, and gummies is a childhood favorite that still delights today.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Other options, such as red light therapy caps, are non-invasive devices that use low-level light therapy to stimulate hair follicles and increase density.—
Cindy Krischer Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
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Reviewing those can determine if more specific devices are covered by Cinch’s plans.—
Caroline Ernst,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The cause of brain freeze fascinates neurologists and Slurpee lovers alike, and the science behind it is especially captivating.—
Julia Daye,
Popular Science,
2 Apr. 2026
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Despite being so vocal, Cudi still retains a mystique quality that fascinates fans.—
Kailyn Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Small visual tricks are ubiquitous yet nothing here feels tacky.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
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There are likely between 20,000 and 50,000 species of mycorrhizal fungi, each with its own tricks for tapping into different plants and harvesting nutrients using enzymes, acids, and water-mining structures.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And along with gender and empowerment, there’s also something about having bright colors and a lot of grief on stage that interests me.—
Jared Kaufman,
Twin Cities,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The Supreme Court only grants review to about 1% of petitions, but one scenario where the odds are higher involves federal circuit splits—especially when the number of people impacted is considerable and when the legal question interests the justices.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wiles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wiles. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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