as in to deceive
to cause to believe what is untrue
Tom Sawyer famously hoodwinked the other boys into thinking there was nothing more enjoyable than whitewashing a fence
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hoodwink
Reps for Young and Baez declined to comment, much like reps for Bob Dylan, Phil Collins, Bruce Springsteen, and others who have passed on making statements about AI imagery that’s hoodwinked whatever percentage of their fan bases.
—
David Browne, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025
Slow Horses is a twisty show, but the assumption that Roddy had been hoodwinked by a glamorous woman far out of his league seemed about as safe a bet as possible.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
However, for your sign, money and possessions are where you might be hoodwinked or not realize what’s going on.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 23 Sep. 2025
But, given the photo was taken a week ago, people raised concerns about a potential attempt to hoodwink the public about the true state of the president's condition.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hoodwink
David Browne, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025
Slow Horses is a twisty show, but the assumption that Roddy had been hoodwinked by a glamorous woman far out of his league seemed about as safe a bet as possible.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
However, for your sign, money and possessions are where you might be hoodwinked or not realize what’s going on.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 23 Sep. 2025
But, given the photo was taken a week ago, people raised concerns about a potential attempt to hoodwink the public about the true state of the president's condition.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hoodwink
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoodwink
Verb
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Is someone attempting to deceive you?—
Big Think,
Big Think,
10 Feb. 2026
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Your eyes aren't deceiving you.—
Jessica Farthing,
Southern Living,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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These ads may not have fooled as many of us as their makers seemed to think.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Feb. 2026
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And don’t let the utilities and their friends fool you.—
Kendall Keelen,
Hartford Courant,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Those kinds of intimate connections — along with their incredible skills, trick shots and fun-loving theatrics — have helped the Globetrotters prevail as a cultural staple for the past century.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
13 Feb. 2026
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Heathcliff has tricked Edgar’s sister, Isabella, into marrying him by pretending to love her.—
Becky Little,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hoodwink.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoodwink. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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