1
as in cunning
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means
a shady salesman who usually relies on a combination of quick thinking and guile
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in deception
the inclination or practice of misleading others through lies or trickery
a person so full of guile he can't even be trusted to give you the correct time of day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of guile
What was once done by indirection and guile is now carried with the high hand, in the face of day, at the mouth of the cannon and by the edge of the sabre of the nation.
—
Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
The Hornets showed some guile, climbing out of a cavernous 22-point deficit that was a direct result of too many turnovers, a lack of defensive intensity and yielding a flurry of 30 first-half points in the paint.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 3 Feb. 2026
In between is a huge chessboard for honing skills of strategy and guile while catching a tan.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 4 Sep. 2025
There are no traces of guile, cynicism, arrogance or duplicity.
—John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for guile
Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
The Hornets showed some guile, climbing out of a cavernous 22-point deficit that was a direct result of too many turnovers, a lack of defensive intensity and yielding a flurry of 30 first-half points in the paint.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 3 Feb. 2026
In between is a huge chessboard for honing skills of strategy and guile while catching a tan.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 4 Sep. 2025
There are no traces of guile, cynicism, arrogance or duplicity.
—John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for guile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guile
Noun
-
The Brazil international combines technical craft with a decisive cunning.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
-
But Muck is no Epstein, malevolent and cunning.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2026
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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Taking someone’s money by deceit is generally not allowed, and the misrepresentations contained in the contract could serve as proof of the alleged fraud.—
Robert L. Boone,
Sportico.com,
31 Mar. 2026
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And in Six Degrees of Separation (1993), Hurt played one of the New York socialites who falls into the web of deceit created by a charismatic young man (Will Smith) pretending to be the son of Sidney Poitier.—
Chris Koseluk,
HollywoodReporter,
29 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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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
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The leader of the Ex-Slave Pension Association was later imprisoned on mail fraud charges, and the organization faded away, while the Eagles became one of the pressure groups that eventually led to Social Security.—
Trevor Jackson,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
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At first, the attention became so intense that Bravo was removed from the televisions inside the minimum-security camp, where Shah was serving her sentence for her role in a nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There seems to be a widespread perception that musicians who use artificial intelligence are engaged in a form of cheating.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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There is no rampant cheating or election fraud in California.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Guile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guile. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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