1
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
getting the trade unions to go along with the agreement will be a rather dodgy piece of work
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cunning
clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means
needed a dodgy barrister to get him acquitted of the charge
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in questionable
giving good reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged
the authenticity of the "lost" Shakespearean sonnet was more than a little dodgy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dodgy
Strategy was formerly known as MicroStrategy — going public in June 1998 at $10 a share — promptly sprinting up 31-fold to around $320 before sinking fast in the wake of the dot-com bubble bursting and the revelation of dodgy revenue accounting at the analytics software company.
—
Peter Cohan, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Plus, is dodgy data undermining medical research?
—TheWeek, 16 Jan. 2026
Greenstein and Goldberg tried — and failed — to dissuade their boss from giving Will Smith and his company Westbrook an overall deal with the studio, arguing that the Oscar-slap controversy and a dodgy box office track record would result in more headaches than hits.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 4 Nov. 2025
The business is, and has always been, a dodgy boondoggle; not for nothing were the old-money WASPs at the East Coast banks reticent to put capital behind fledgling Hollywood.
—Nick Pinkerton, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dodgy
Peter Cohan, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Plus, is dodgy data undermining medical research?
—TheWeek, 16 Jan. 2026
Greenstein and Goldberg tried — and failed — to dissuade their boss from giving Will Smith and his company Westbrook an overall deal with the studio, arguing that the Oscar-slap controversy and a dodgy box office track record would result in more headaches than hits.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 4 Nov. 2025
The business is, and has always been, a dodgy boondoggle; not for nothing were the old-money WASPs at the East Coast banks reticent to put capital behind fledgling Hollywood.
—Nick Pinkerton, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dodgy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dodgy
Adjective
-
Christie acknowledged that the Kings were in a difficult position given their recent schedule injury situation.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Even putting the tank on the ice was more difficult this year.—
Spencer Wilson,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In state media comedy shows, jokes about Putin are told from time to time, but they are used to bolster his image as a powerful, cunning leader, and hold up Russia as a great country.—
Neringa Klumbytė,
The Conversation,
4 Mar. 2026
-
These ambitious, cunning, and often amoral Cold War operatives were usually marginal or even inconsequential figures at home.—
Alfred McCoy,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
However merry the mayhem of the movie dorm on Broadway, the sustainability of it all was starting to seem questionable.—
Lena Dunham,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Initially listed as questionable for the game with back spasms, Norman Powell on Sunday morning was downgraded to out because of an upper respiratory illness.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The real minutes, tough minutes on the road, stressful.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
-
After those seven players, things get a little tough to project.—
Mike Kaye
March 26,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Marvin’s a cute little mushroom living in a cozy home beneath a mighty cedar tree.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Dry off and look cute at the same time with Katydid beach or gym towels.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
After being handed a fake car from a dubious contest, Castillo filed a real lawsuit against the station for $60,000.—
John Tufts,
IndyStar,
1 Apr. 2026
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The price of gasoline in June 2022 wins that dubious distinction.—
Jose R. Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This wasn’t surprising, given that intelligence agencies compartmentalize information about sensitive operations.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
It is well understood in the region that could mean things like broad targeting of sensitive and highly vulnerable energy installations, something Iran has already threatened, essential for the regional and global economies, as well as hard to quickly repair and rebuild.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Even though researchers have found no evidence that contemporary populations use one hemisphere of the brain any more than the other, every part of this picture is presented with slick confidence.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
With water constantly dripping from above, the surface was slick and unstable.—
Brit McCandless Farmer,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dodgy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dodgy. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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