1
as in cunning
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means
it took a certain amount of cunningness on the photographer's part to obtain such revealing portraits of his rich and famous subjects
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in deception
the inclination or practice of misleading others through lies or trickery
people should remember that it was cunningness and not kindness that made him a very wealthy lawyer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cunningness
The costume thus becomes a family heirloom, one steeped in grace and cunningness.
—
Andrew McGowan, Variety, 12 Aug. 2025
Andrew McGowan, Variety, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cunningness
Noun
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The Brazil international combines technical craft with a decisive cunning.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
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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
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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Lindell bragged of spending millions to combat election fraud.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
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Banks are required by law to report suspicious activity in customer accounts to federal authorities in order to flag potential criminal activity, such as money laundering or fraud.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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There is no rampant cheating or election fraud in California.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
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Research shows that artificial intelligence tools can support learning, but also has raised concerns, including students’ overreliance, cheating, and the potential degradation of critical thinking and engagement.—
Jeanne Beatrix Law,
The Conversation,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cunningness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cunningness. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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