1
as in ruse
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
had to use all of her wiles to convince her guests to stay for dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in deception
the use of clever underhanded actions to achieve an end
it took both wile and cajolery to talk him into it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to fascinate
to attract or delight as if by magic
her stories of the Old South could wile anyone
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wile
Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
That Hedda has forged such a life for herself is a testament to her wiles — no one is more adept at delivering acidic barbs cloaked by a friendly hand on the shoulder.
—Abby Monteil, Them., 28 Oct. 2025
Daniel Depetris, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2025
Tuck into a plate of catfish at nearby Taylor Grocery, catch a show at The Lyric, and wile away the next morning in Square Books.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wile
Noun
Determined to find their way back to their humans, the wise Shadow, the sarcastic Sassy, and the impulsive Chance attempt to navigate their way home using only their wiles and each other.
—Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
That Hedda has forged such a life for herself is a testament to her wiles — no one is more adept at delivering acidic barbs cloaked by a friendly hand on the shoulder.
—Abby Monteil, Them., 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
Europe generally speaking is on Ukraine’s side, wants a settlement to the war to be as close to Kyiv’s preferences as possible and isn’t wiling to explore a detente with Moscow until the war is over.
—Daniel Depetris, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2025
Tuck into a plate of catfish at nearby Taylor Grocery, catch a show at The Lyric, and wile away the next morning in Square Books.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wile
Noun
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Olive’s fake-dating ruse stems from wanting to let her best friend Anh (Marsh) date her crush Jeremy (Duvernay).—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
11 June 2026
-
Adolf Hitler wasn’t completely fooled, and about four million mines were planted on the beaches, but the ruse worked well enough that, even as the landings got underway, some German commanders doubted Normandy was the main attack.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
3 June 2026
Noun
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According to research from Charlemagne Labs, an AI-security startup, AI models already widely available can now sustain believable, multi-turn deception—conversations that span many back-and-forth exchanges rather than a single message—which is the hardest part of real-world scams.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
9 June 2026
-
That was a deliberate lie, deception and/or omission.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Because people's feelings, passions, and motivations have always fascinated me.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
-
By the time Jackie arrived at Buckingham Palace for her first meeting with the Queen in June 1961 during her husband's presidency, she had long been fascinated by royalty.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
Noun
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Folarin Balogun is now the second US player to score more than once in a World Cup match, after Bert Patenaude – who happened to score the World Cup’s first-ever hat-trick in the inaugural 1930 edition … against Paraguay, so less.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
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These chic wide-leg trousers will do just the trick, made of an ultra-soft and airy fabric ideal for looking polished and cool on warm-weather travels.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
12 June 2026
Noun
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Peacock’s adventures in treachery The Traitors was the top dog, scoring five prizes including Best Competition Series and Best Host for Alan Cumming.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
3 June 2026
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Upon learning of Ava’s treachery, Deborah HOWLS.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Corbin later joined everyone in the villa and quickly set out to charm each of the ladies.—
Allison DeGrushe,
StyleCaster,
8 June 2026
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From the Night at the Museum films to Hallmark's Murder 101 franchise, Van Dyke continued to charm audiences.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
8 June 2026
Noun
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Industrial incompatibilities ultimately sank the project at the heart of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) scheme, the much-vaunted political lynchpin of Franco-German military cooperation.—
Joseph Ataman,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
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Suhail Kwatra was indicted by the Suffolk DA’s office on a felony charge for larceny over $1,200 by single scheme, according to court records out of Suffolk Superior Court.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
12 June 2026
Noun
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But ultimately, Williams believes AI can be an extension of editing trickery that has existed since the dawn of filmmaking.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
27 May 2026
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Consider, too, relatively new forms of trickery, such as manipulating substitution procedures or spying on rivals.—
Cesar R. Torres,
The Conversation,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wile. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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