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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
Her Erika Tracy has Gloria Swanson’s hunger for male saps, Greta Garbo’s carriage, Marlene Dietrich’s disdain and Barbara Stanwyck’s wiles. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 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
  1. ruses
  2. charms
  3. schemes
  4. delights
  5. devices
  6. fascinates
  7. tricks
  8. interests
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
  • But Craig's supporters have argued that the four-term congresswoman is the more electable candidate, especially as Flanagan has been tied to the Minnesota governor's handling of the multimillion-dollar fraud schemes in the state.
    — Caroline Linton, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Longtime safety Harrison Smith might not return for 2026, costing the Vikings defense its connective tissue, invaluable in defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ chaotic schemes.
    — Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of schemes
Verb
  • Tartine is fittingly tucked inside a former funeral home chapel, where breakfast delights such as golden pastries, fresh breads and fruity jams are heaven on Earth.
    — Carrie Bell, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The recipe continues to be the creative constant for a cake that still delights guests 90 years on.
    — Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of delights
Noun
  • Kevin Lamarque | Reuters Instead of seeing supercomputers as devices that customers buy and use — the argument goes — these systems, filled with Nvidia's graphics processing units that can cost $3 million per rack, look like profitable investments.
    — Kif Leswing, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Technology has significantly evolved since then, with 80% of 911 calls nationwide coming from wireless mobile devices rather than landlines tied to specific addresses.
    — Sophia Eppley, AJC.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of devices
Verb
  • Meanwhile, what fascinates aspiring neurologist Makenzie Stovall is the idea that AI is trying to emulate the brain — an organ whose inner workings continue to leave researchers dumbfounded.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • But the skillful way in which they are woven together belies the efforts that went into telling this story, and Lovely Reader, this dedication to quality fascinates me.
    — Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of fascinates
Noun
  • Standard Tactics Lose Their Edge Here The biggest surprise was that the tricks our agency uses for clients didn’t work here!
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The voices and visions play tricks and offer surprises, and there’s a sense of humour even when tragedy is lurking in the wings.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of tricks
Verb
  • That distance—the difficulty of truly making contact with another person from the limits of the self—interests me as a writer.
    — Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026
  • What interests me is this idea of hybridity—where human infrastructure and natural systems become entangled.
    — Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
Definition of interests

Browse Nearby Words

wiled
wiles
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Cite this Entry

“Wiles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wiles. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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