wiliness

noun

Definition of wilinessnext
1
as in cunning
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means admired the politician's wiliness, but questioned his ethics

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in deception
the inclination or practice of misleading others through lies or trickery her reputation for Machiavellian wiliness made people disinclined to trust her

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wiliness
  1. cunning
  2. deception
  3. deceptiveness
  4. deceit
  5. deceitfulness
  6. fraud
  7. cheating
Noun
  • At least all of that exhibited a malign cunning, a kind of instrumental rationality.
    — Andrew Koppelman, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Lethally charming and a natural chameleon, Conal uses social cunning and ruthlessness to get the job done and always gets a thrill out of completing a mission.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of cunning
Noun
  • But the quarterback sneak has never worked well because of its deception.
    — Sam McDowell November 3, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The resulting models displayed resistance to monitoring, deception, and attempts at self-preservation.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of deception
Noun
  • Of course, the retort is that this would be irritating and exasperating to be continually deluged with alerts about AI deceptiveness.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
  • Beyond the deceptiveness of the narrow material view, spiritual light and hope are always present to be found and felt.
    — Sue Brightman, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Jan. 2025
Definition of deceptiveness
Noun
  • Fielder is an unusual figure to helm a documentary about truth and deceit.
    — Andrew McGowan, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2026
  • These types of harms could include defamation, bias, deceit and social engineering and much more.
    — Anat Lior, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of deceit
Noun
  • Antisocial personality includes a persistent pattern of traits such as callousness, lack of concern, deceitfulness, and irresponsibility, Ryan said.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Perfidy — from the French perfidie via the Latin perfidia — means deceitfulness, treachery or a breach of faith or promise.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
Definition of deceitfulness
Noun
  • Cárdenas played a pivotal role in Mexico's democratization, beginning with his first presidential bid in 1988, which ended in a defeat widely regarded as the result of widespread electoral fraud.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Oct. 2026
  • With first-party fraud and friendly disputes eroding already thin retail margins, managing chargebacks requires far more than basic operational recovery.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of fraud
Noun
  • In contrast to the president's rhetoric about election cheating, voting unfolded with relatively few problems.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Nov. 2026
  • In contrast to the president’s continued rhetoric about election cheating, voting so far has unfolded with relatively few problems.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of cheating
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Wiliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wiliness. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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