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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb beguile differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of beguile are deceive, delude, and mislead. While all these words mean "to lead astray or frustrate usually by underhandedness," beguile stresses the use of charm and persuasion in deceiving.

was beguiled by false promises

When is deceive a more appropriate choice than beguile?

While the synonyms deceive and beguile are close in meaning, deceive implies imposing a false idea or belief that causes ignorance, bewilderment, or helplessness.

tried to deceive me about the cost

When would delude be a good substitute for beguile?

The meanings of delude and beguile largely overlap; however, delude implies deceiving so thoroughly as to obscure the truth.

we were deluded into thinking we were safe

In what contexts can mislead take the place of beguile?

The words mislead and beguile are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, mislead implies a leading astray that may or may not be intentional.

I was misled by the confusing sign

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 beguile Like Squid Game, The Prisoner beguiles the viewer by turning traditional symbols of familiar, homegrown calm (in this case, an idyllic seaside town) into disorientating weapons that keep the characters on a knife's edge. Rory Doherty, Time, 27 June 2025 Episodes ended by dangling game rules and character deaths, beguiling us to keep watching. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 27 June 2025 Maria, a Wimbledon semifinalist in 2022 who has not made it past the second round of any other Grand Slam, beguiled an in-form Amanda Anisimova in straight sets 6-3, 6-4. Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 16 June 2025 The atmosphere is beguiling, because all these signs do not quite equate to a feeling, or diagnosis, of danger. Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for beguile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beguile
Verb
  • Molina, who is fascinated by silver screen legend Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez), distracts himself and Valentín with a recounting of his favorite film of hers — The Kiss of the Spider Woman.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2025
  • That kind of content always fascinated me, both sides of it, actually, the victimology and the perpetrator’s perspective.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • This requires honesty, particularly self-honesty, as leaders can deceive themselves with what seems like progress.
    Dmitry Malin, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • The band’s attorneys said that consumers could be easily deceived by the products allegedly sold on the marketplace, which could, in turn, cause reputational damage for Twenty One Pilots and its legitimate products.
    Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Why Corporate Leaders Should Care Executives might be tempted to dismiss PSLF as a narrow policy issue affecting only government and nonprofit workers.
    Leadership Brainery, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • You may be tempted to go straight in with loads of product, but for the best lash look, Gray recommends starting little by little.
    Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • There are tons of enticing cold and hot drinks.
    Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Responding to the demand, and hoping to entice younger shoppers into their financial ecosystems, payment facilitators such as Cash App, the BNPL provider Klarna, the fintech bank Chime, and even American Express have recently launched their own debit cards.
    Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Hurricanes explained by Ginger Zee Don't be fooled by the lack of tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Basin.
    Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2025
  • After driving his team to the 1-yard line, Fields fooled the entire Steelers defense on a fourth down, faking a handoff and then high-stepping into the end zone untouched to take a 32-31 lead.
    Mike DeFabo, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • These two energies seduced me to find womxn who, through their artistic work, were open to rebellious acts such as publishing art books on essential topics.
    Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2025
  • What really happened was that Cherry seduced Daniel into leaving after spotting her ex-boyfriend Nicholas’s new fiancée.
    Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Taylor and Travis corn maze will open on Saturday and folks at Johnson Farms hope the visitors will be enchanted.
    Tammy Ljungblad, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
  • However, Labyrinth has since become a beloved cult favorite, continuing to enchant and delight viewers.
    Logan Karlie September 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Still, Genians suspects the Kimsuky group was able to develop a workaround, also known as jailbreak, to trick ChatGPT into creating the IDs.
    Senior Reporter, PC Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
  • But in reality, deepfakes are getting better and the threat industry has many years of experience in honing lures to trick people, playing on emotions and overcoming natural suspicions and objections.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Beguile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beguile. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.

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