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
  • Irey is now facing several charges, including obstruction of justice, theft by deception, forgery and others.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 9 Nov. 2026
  • Even so, a person calling about an arrest or a custody dispute is just as likely to be anxious, and a voice that sounds human but is not can feel like deception, whatever the law requires.
    — Hamid Kohan, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 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
  • Surveys show that both Democrats and Republicans believe that sizable proportions of the other side favor wrongful imprisonment, tax fraud, embezzlement, adultery, animal abuse, and child pornography.
    — Paul Bloom, New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2026
  • None of these behaviors automatically indicates fraud or higher risk.
    — Artem Lalaiants, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of fraud
Noun
  • Michaella also took an awkward tumble off the couch as her fellow castmates gathered to comfort Sarah Williams following a bombshell cheating confession from her husband, John Shannon.
    — Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 9 Nov. 2026
  • Along with the wealth of studies suggesting a reliance on these tools impacts critical thinking , many school districts are wary of thrusting a technology that’s become synonymous with effortless cheating at school assignments into students’ hands.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 8 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 14 Nov. 2026.

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