as in deception
the use of clever underhanded actions to achieve an end
that candidate only won the election through chicanery
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Recent Examples of chicanery
There will be years of political infighting, courtroom battles, and financial chicanery.
—
Jeff Goodell, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2025
That access has been critical, because producers are now forced to cut away from replays faster to capture more of that line-of-scrimmage chicanery.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 5 Feb. 2025
There’s still a lot of baseball chicanery to take place over the next few months, though.
—Grant Brisbee, The Athletic, 18 July 2024
The eternal fight for liberty — slaves into gladiators, gladiators into free men — calls for courage and purpose beyond Lucius’s nightmarish expectations, uncovering the treachery and chicanery of Roman politics.
—Armond White, National Review, 6 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for chicanery
Jeff Goodell, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2025
That access has been critical, because producers are now forced to cut away from replays faster to capture more of that line-of-scrimmage chicanery.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 5 Feb. 2025
There’s still a lot of baseball chicanery to take place over the next few months, though.
—Grant Brisbee, The Athletic, 18 July 2024
The eternal fight for liberty — slaves into gladiators, gladiators into free men — calls for courage and purpose beyond Lucius’s nightmarish expectations, uncovering the treachery and chicanery of Roman politics.
—Armond White, National Review, 6 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for chicanery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chicanery
Noun
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Tyler Perry’s latest thriller, Duplicity, hits theaters today, March 20, delivering a suspenseful story of deception, justice, and betrayal.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
20 Mar. 2025
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Trickery, obfuscation, and deception are common in local politics.—
Harvey Levine,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
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After weeks of treachery and deception, the final roundtable has been viewed, and the winner or winners for The Traitors Season 3 have been revealed.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
6 Mar. 2025
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Clay’s Dad, Trevor Photo: Netflix It cannot be said enough that the root of so much of this season’s strife between AD and Clay can be traced back to one man’s flagrant disregard for his marital vows, and his inexplicable decision to involve his kids in the treachery.—
Anusha Praturu,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2024
Noun
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His delivery of Mantel’s dialogue—modern, intelligent, bristling with implication and subterfuge—is mesmerizingly clear.—
Taylor Antrim,
Vogue,
20 Mar. 2025
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With a bit of guidance, navigating between the classic go-to’s and the newer dining options are scattered throughout the properties can lead to incredible culinary discoveries, plenty of popping champagne bottles and even a dash of historical subterfuge.—
Alissa Fitzgerald,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
Noun
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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
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Climax became the first ever vegan cheesemaker to win a prestigious Good Food award—though dairy complaints caused the prize to be rescinded at the last minute, with shades of the protectionist, legal skulduggery faced by non-dairy milk products.—
Andrew Rosenblum,
Popular Science,
26 Dec. 2024
Noun
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They are rooted in mental and physical prowess, not digital trickery.—
Tony Bradley,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
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Yet even as that’s happening, Patterson stages it all with an elliptical trickery that keeps the film knowingly off-balance.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
11 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Finland and Sweden, both of which had tried for decades to steer clear of superpower gamesmanship, joined NATO after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.—
Josh Holder,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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On Monday, the D.C. Circuit ended his gamesmanship, ruling decisively against his reinstatement by the lower court.—
Andrew C. McCarthy,
National Review,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Her stories on Kansas secrecy and religion have been nationally recognized.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2025
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Can true intimacy exist without full disclosure, or is some level of secrecy necessary for survival?—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
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No matter how Congress formally scores the price of extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, as well as other Trump initiatives, accounting legerdemain can’t make fiscal reality disappear.—
Howard Gleckman,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
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Congressional legerdemain can’t wave away that reality.—
Howard Gleckman,
Forbes,
4 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Chicanery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chicanery. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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