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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guileful
Adjective
-
Goldsworthy has made cunning edits of the landscape throughout Penpont.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026 -
Perhaps most perceptively captivating is the sweetly cunning way Marczak inserts himself into the film.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Savings are only on brand names, which can be deceptive when comparing prices.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Novo has so far filed around 130 lawsuits dealing with deceptive marketing practices and consumer fraud, Kuckelman said.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Real Arizonans know that Valentine's Day is so much more than an excuse for candy and cute notes.—
Becky Bartkowski,
AZCentral.com,
14 Feb. 2026
-
From workplace romances to relationships built from body horror events, these are the precious pairs encouraging everyone to choose love above all and make that cute hand heart gesture.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Some defendants are also accused of conspiring to bribe a civilian contractor to create fraudulent military IDs for base access.—
Steve Patterson,
Florida Times-Union,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Rivers used her professional connection with Event Décor Direct in Deerfield Beach to take money from the event decoration business over a three-month period in 2025, in part by making dozens of fraudulent transactions and credit card purchases, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Thursday.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The singer completed the look with a bold snake choker necklace and a super slick bun.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
15 Feb. 2026
-
When skin starts feeling slick or congested, Medicube’s Zero Pore Pads help restore balance.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Also, Wasserman in recent weeks assured individuals at his company and LA28, that besides the 2002 humanitarian trip with Epstein, there was nothing more to come from his involvement with the shady financier and his procurer Maxwell.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Some turned to a shady, largely unregulated corner of the financial world.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The moments that could be regarded as direct criticism were rare and subtle.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The skirt is made with an intentionally creased texture and features a straight cut with a subtle flare at the hem.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Ron Leibman and Paul Sand round out their gang, with Zero Mostel as the crooked attorney who serves as a go-between.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Descend its famously crooked path, flanked by cascading hydrangeas and storybook Edwardian homes—then watch cars zigzag through eight tight switchbacks while tourists crowd the sidewalks, snapping photos of its surreal descent.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Guileful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guileful. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
