as in deception
the use of clever underhanded actions to achieve an end
that candidate only won the election through chicanery
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Recent Examples of chicanery
Another recurring feature of the biggest asset booms is outright chicanery, such as fraudulent accounting, the marketing of worthless securities, and plain old stealing.
—
John Cassidy, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
When Hamilton refused him legal help, Reynolds told all who would listen that the Treasury secretary had masterminded his financial chicanery.
—Jane Kamensky, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
The trial was a kangaroo circus packed with sophism, subterfuge, and courtroom chicanery.
—Manuel Muñoz, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
Those concerns were laid bare in the discovery process for the defamation case that Dominion Voting Systems took against Fox over false suggestions of fraud and other chicanery aired by guests on the network.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for chicanery
John Cassidy, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
When Hamilton refused him legal help, Reynolds told all who would listen that the Treasury secretary had masterminded his financial chicanery.
—Jane Kamensky, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
The trial was a kangaroo circus packed with sophism, subterfuge, and courtroom chicanery.
—Manuel Muñoz, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
Those concerns were laid bare in the discovery process for the defamation case that Dominion Voting Systems took against Fox over false suggestions of fraud and other chicanery aired by guests on the network.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for chicanery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chicanery
Noun
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In 2024, North Korea claimed to have successfully testlaunched a multiwarhead missile, but South Korea quickly dismissed it as deception to cover up a failed launch.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Mar. 2026
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These include debt bondage, restriction of movement, withholding of wages, excessive overtime, physical violence, surveillance, deception, isolation, abuse of vulnerability and abusive conditions.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Undocumented immigrants venture from Mexico, often underestimating of the treachery of the landscape.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
26 Mar. 2026
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Jonathan Cute kept probing the murky realms between tourism and treachery.—
Adam Ciralsky,
Vanity Fair,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Early Jewish interpreters also struggled with the fact that Rebekah’s favoritism toward Jacob and her insistence upon his subterfuge nevertheless align with God’s plan.—
Charles Preston,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
13 Mar. 2026
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This claim swayed Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh to note this version of the administration’s fabrication in his dissent, which will be forever linked to this administration’s subterfuge.—
Mark Pirie,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
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One result of the existing system is that vote tabulations in California go on for weeks, something that frustrates the public and the media, and, in the current atmosphere, helps fuel suspicion of electoral skullduggery.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
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The selection was announced by SMS to Iranians, among whom Mojtaba Khamenei has long had a reputation for skullduggery and power plays.—
Kay Armin Serjoie,
Time,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Ultimately, however, Stark writes, the Indians used trickery and their knowledge of how to live in a hostile environment to stop the Spanish force.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2026
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The lawsuit also alleged that in that operation, border officials used trickery to get people to leave the country.—
Julia Ainsley,
NBC news,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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In some possible gamesmanship, South Carolina will start junior right-hander Nealy Lamb.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Mar. 2026
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Speaking of which… How might the gerrymandering gamesmanship between the parties play out in the fall?—
Ian Crouch,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Mike Bowman, designer, furniture industry expert, and director of marketing for Harmonia Living, says this trend relies on furnishings to bring artfulness to a space—rather than just functionality.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
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There is a real seriousness to the score — the scheming bad-guy music has the artfulness of Prokofiev, and even the sneaking-around cues have musical integrity and structure.—
Tim Greiving,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chicanery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chicanery. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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