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
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
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
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
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
-
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
-
Shawn Hatosy charms the audience during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on June 11 in New York City.—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
-
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
Noun
-
According to the police report, a woman also reportedly claimed to be a victim of one of Chen's check-cashing schemes, alleging that she was scammed out of $40,000 after Chen wrote her bad checks from a man's account, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
-
Seeing the different coverages, the rolls, the schemes.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.—
Jesse Greenspan,
Scientific American,
10 Dec. 2025
-
Culinary delights like fondue and foie gras cement the mountain region atmosphere.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
10 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Spending on mental wellness has accelerated faster than the evidence base, encompassing everything from spa retreats to brain supplements, smartphone apps, and at-home devices.—
Melinda Fulmer,
Robb Report,
11 June 2026
-
Check out these helpful tips to make the most of your devices' benefits.—
Timothy Dale,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
There is something magical about a firefly that fascinates young and old alike.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
6 June 2026
-
There is something about the play Harvey that fascinates me, especially for right now.—
Scott Feinberg,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
One of my nerdiest hip-hop fan instincts is trying to catch the subtle ways production tricks and flows migrate from one city to the next, like an invasive species.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
16 June 2026
-
One of his greatest joys was performing magic tricks alongside his granddaughter.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
This is the story that interests me, but telling the story of Fanny Imlay is impossible without also telling the story of Wollstonecraft’s other daughter, Fanny’s half-sister.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 June 2026
-
At the moment, the only Championship side that interests me in FPL terms are Coventry.—
Holly Shand,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wiles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wiles. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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