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
Relevance
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
Noun
-
The confidence that began Carrick’s spell in charge will need to be matched with new cunning and craft.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026 -
But Muck is no Epstein, malevolent and cunning.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This deception is slicker than a greased pig!—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Mar. 2026
-
One of the best seasons of the show so far, season 4 of HBO’s finance-world saga dialed the drama, deception, corporate-speak, stress, and moral ambiguity to the max.—
Meg Walters,
Glamour,
2 Mar. 2026
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
Noun
-
She has now been sentenced to federal prison to pay for her deceit.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Drama, deceit, and fierce gameplay are the hallmarks of each episode.—
Alison McDermott,
Architectural Digest,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
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
Noun
-
Peters has not expressed remorse for her actions, instead defending them as necessary to investigate possible fraud.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Last month, in a separate case, Hong Kong’s Court of Appeal handed Lai a rare legal victory by overturning his conviction for fraud and quashing a 69-month sentence.—
Reuters 8 hr ago,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
That cheating is rampant in our elections.—
TIME Staff,
Time,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Not every young person feels this type of cheating is wrong.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
24 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Wiliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wiliness. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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