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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The Chartreuse charms the cocktail, giving it a bright herbaceousness and seductive spice, with the liqueur’s full battery of gifts echoing into a long, ambrosial finish.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
14 Feb. 2026
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As the doppelganger charms the internet and devises a nefarious plot to replace mankind with brainrot, Shiori must partner with other online outcasts to stop her digital counterpart and reclaim her life in the real world.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The new era During the crypto boom of 2021, entrepreneurs put forth lofty schemes to remake the internet with decentralized plumbing.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Classical bit commitment schemes are essential building blocks for all sorts of other methods in cryptography.—
Ben Brubaker,
Quanta Magazine,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.—
Simon Makin,
Scientific American,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Eva’s romance with her husband, Franklin Plaskett, delights and amazes her.—
Adelle Waldman,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The researchers are hopeful that their work will help advance hydrovoltaic devices that can power battery-free devices using water, heat, and sunlight.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Feb. 2026
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According to Google, its Pixel 9 and later devices, other than Pixel 9a, also have a satellite feature to use in emergencies when no other signal is available.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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In chats among Kalshi traders on the online forum Discord, some show their reluctance to reveal their trading tricks by misdirecting.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
17 Feb. 2026
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Coleman was known for her daring stunt tricks in the air.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Also consider local hiking groups, fitness classes, or dance classes—and don't be afraid to try a few different things to find what most interests you.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
16 Feb. 2026
-
What interests you about the intersection of film and fashion?—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wiles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wiles. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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