1
as in cunning
clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means
tried to fix the game with a guileful plot to sabotage the other team's bats, but the umpire caught them
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deceptive
given to or marked by cheating and deception
received a guileful answer when I asked the dealer if the used car had ever been in a collision
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guileful
Adjective
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Reading it, one is reminded, once again, that Trump is a politician who is cunning but semiliterate and ignorant.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2025 -
Sign up The abusive couple were cunning, said Allison Pearson in The Daily Telegraph.—
The Week UK,
theweek,
21 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has taken some steps to regulate the collection of data in vehicles, focusing on consumer protection and preventing deceptive practices.—
Eric Reicin,
Forbes,
26 Feb. 2025
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Burrowes’ new fraud lawsuit also includes claims for unjust enrichment and deceptive business practices.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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In December 2024, the brand opened a cute hut that could have been plucked out of a Disney cartoon on the beach of the St. Regis Kanai Resort in Riviera Maya.—
Hikmat Mohammed,
WWD,
9 Mar. 2025
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Trendy cuffed denim and new takes on the brand’s beloved barrel jeans are in the mix, but that’s only the beginning; cute shorts, skirts, and capris are also up for grabs (and starting to sell out).—
Jake Henry Smith,
Glamour,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The suit alleges that employees at the Novato branch were incentivized not to do anything to stop PFI’s fraudulent activity.—
Richard Halstead,
The Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2025
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It is intended to streamline the removal of individuals deemed inadmissible under specific grounds, primarily for lacking proper documentation or for using fraudulent means to enter the country.—
Tommy Tuberville,
Newsweek,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Superyacht designers have begun to navigate the cultural preferences of their clientele by redefining yacht interiors in subtle but significant ways.—
Tristan Rutherford,
Robb Report,
2 Mar. 2025
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These devices are more precise and subtle than old fashioned metal detectors, using specific sensitivity settings and artificial intelligence to detect hidden weapons as opposed to harmless items such as keys and phones, allowing people to enter facilities with very little delay.—
Chris Boyette,
CNN,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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And not in a shady way and not to tear her down as a person.—
Liza Esquibias,
People.com,
3 Mar. 2025
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Months of fighting the rape claims in federal court in NYC and failing to get the matter tossed out saw a lot of bitter finger pointing with claims of bribery, shady probes and lying from all sides, to varying degrees.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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As a side sleeper who constantly wakes up with a crooked neck and often back pain, this was a huge plus.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
27 Feb. 2025
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In short, repealing the FCPA will be a boon to crooked foreign corporations and will create an uneven playing field—in their favor.—
Matt Robison,
Newsweek,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Truth oaths are not just for the U.S. Internal Revenue Service but for many different companies that want to curb dishonest behavior or that ask employees to report information that is difficult to verify.—
IESE Business School,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
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Greta’s stealth revolution may look natural, but the change is weak and dishonest.—
Armond White,
National Review,
5 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Guileful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guileful. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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