as in skullduggery
the use of clever underhanded actions to achieve an end
had to resort to a certain amount of hanky-panky to sneak away from the house without his dog seeing him
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Recent Examples of hanky-panky
But there was no hanky-panky, and in fact the two couples had dinner together every week for two years after Dirty Dancing wrapped.
—
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024
On my ride with Boaz and Javadi, a Waymo operator suddenly joined us on the audio system, not to inform us that hanky-panky is prohibited, but to say that two passengers did not have their seat belts fastened.
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2024
Any outlier hanky-panky effort by Republicans would be enjoined by the courts based upon solid precedent.
—Jerry Goldfeder, New York Daily News, 24 July 2024
No hanky-panky, no name calling, no twisting of truths, no bull.
—Patrick Wallis, Baltimore Sun, 24 May 2024
Our inescapable conclusion is that the target of this pitch is being snowed by an acquaintance hoping to climb out of the friend zone for a bout of hanky-panky before moving on.
—Tom Zoellner, SPIN, 21 Feb. 2024
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024
On my ride with Boaz and Javadi, a Waymo operator suddenly joined us on the audio system, not to inform us that hanky-panky is prohibited, but to say that two passengers did not have their seat belts fastened.
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2024
Any outlier hanky-panky effort by Republicans would be enjoined by the courts based upon solid precedent.
—Jerry Goldfeder, New York Daily News, 24 July 2024
No hanky-panky, no name calling, no twisting of truths, no bull.
—Patrick Wallis, Baltimore Sun, 24 May 2024
Our inescapable conclusion is that the target of this pitch is being snowed by an acquaintance hoping to climb out of the friend zone for a bout of hanky-panky before moving on.
—Tom Zoellner, SPIN, 21 Feb. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hanky-panky
Noun
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The Erosion Of Trust Through Inconsistent Words Many people associate the breakdown of trust with major betrayals like infidelity or deception.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
-
Warrantless search and seizure, deception, untrammeled use of force.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
To the relief of everybody, weeks of rumors/subterfuge/smokescreens/innuendo come to a merciful end.—
Jim Reineking,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
-
Courts throughout the country have repeatedly seen through this subterfuge.—
Daniel Wallach,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
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This year the skulduggery began early and has been raging for week.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2025
-
Obviously, such a system is rife with uncertainty, and the history of the process is full of skulduggery, both on the club and player side.—
Tony Blengino,
Forbes,
13 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Read more Opinions in The Hill Op-ed related to energy & environment submitted to The Hill: Gavin Newsom’s climate change chicanery You’re all caught up.—
Rachel Frazin,
The Hill,
6 Feb. 2025
-
Jane was a devout Protestant at a time of religious upheaval, the ultimate innocent victim of the chicanery of the Tudor court in the chaotic aftermath of Henry VIII’s reign.—
Pan Pylas,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2025
Noun
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But the most intriguing finish—and the most on-brand level of treachery from Heyman—would be Paul stabbing both Roman and Punk in the back for Rollins.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Sinners is about vampires, perpetual outsiders who desperately yearn to belong, but whose silky promises are rooted in treachery.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The ability to render the real world using charcoal is utter trickery.—
Emily Wilson,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
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But just try not to be tickled by even the simplest of the show’s trickery, like when a book fallen from a school locker flies right back in.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Psychologist Susan Cain, in Quiet, says introverts thrive in solitude, delivering their best work without the social stimulus overload of open offices and needing to play political gamesmanship.—
Jack Kelly,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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The characters surrounding Matt embody that gamesmanship.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Ars Video United Launch Alliance ended its live video coverage of the mission a few minutes after the launch at the request of Amazon, which insisted on a level of secrecy normally reserved for spy satellites.—
Alex Goy,
ArsTechnica,
29 Apr. 2025
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Politics After decades of secrecy, the 'Ghost Army' is honored for saving U.S. lives in WWII Their legacy has also been honored in books and movies, including a 2019 documentary and a 2024 movie, directed by Tyler Perry and starring Kerry Washington as Adams.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
29 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hanky-panky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hanky-panky. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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