as in skullduggery
the use of clever underhanded actions to achieve an end
had to resort to a certain amount of hanky-panky to sneak away from the house without his dog seeing him
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Recent Examples of hanky-panky
But there was no hanky-panky, and in fact the two couples had dinner together every week for two years after Dirty Dancing wrapped.
—
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024
On my ride with Boaz and Javadi, a Waymo operator suddenly joined us on the audio system, not to inform us that hanky-panky is prohibited, but to say that two passengers did not have their seat belts fastened.
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2024
Any outlier hanky-panky effort by Republicans would be enjoined by the courts based upon solid precedent.
—Jerry Goldfeder, New York Daily News, 24 July 2024
No hanky-panky, no name calling, no twisting of truths, no bull.
—Patrick Wallis, Baltimore Sun, 24 May 2024
Our inescapable conclusion is that the target of this pitch is being snowed by an acquaintance hoping to climb out of the friend zone for a bout of hanky-panky before moving on.
—Tom Zoellner, SPIN, 21 Feb. 2024
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024
On my ride with Boaz and Javadi, a Waymo operator suddenly joined us on the audio system, not to inform us that hanky-panky is prohibited, but to say that two passengers did not have their seat belts fastened.
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2024
Any outlier hanky-panky effort by Republicans would be enjoined by the courts based upon solid precedent.
—Jerry Goldfeder, New York Daily News, 24 July 2024
No hanky-panky, no name calling, no twisting of truths, no bull.
—Patrick Wallis, Baltimore Sun, 24 May 2024
Our inescapable conclusion is that the target of this pitch is being snowed by an acquaintance hoping to climb out of the friend zone for a bout of hanky-panky before moving on.
—Tom Zoellner, SPIN, 21 Feb. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hanky-panky
Noun
-
In another case, Balmer pleaded guilty in 2016 to forgery and theft by deception charges, court documents show.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Imposter syndrome is an internal struggle with feeling like a fraud despite being qualified, whereas career catfishing is an active deception.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Other times, the responsible parties engage in active subterfuge.—
Sarah Stillman,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
-
His delivery of Mantel’s dialogue—modern, intelligent, bristling with implication and subterfuge—is mesmerizingly clear.—
Taylor Antrim,
Vogue,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
Jane was a devout Protestant at a time of religious upheaval, the ultimate innocent victim of the chicanery of the Tudor court in the chaotic aftermath of Henry VIII’s reign.—
Pan Pylas,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2025
-
In the book’s second half, especially, events pile up that have the surface appearance of big drama — a wildfire, a norovirus outbreak, some chicanery Sara unearths on the part of the prison contractor.—
Sam Worley,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Because of that treachery Castor was a pure mortal, but Pollux was a half god.—
Mike Lynch,
Twin Cities,
6 Apr. 2025
-
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
Noun
-
That narrative decision fits with Saxon’s ethos to use real skills (sculpting, puppetry, painting) and not only computer trickery to accomplish their lofty goals.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2025
-
Criticisms and claims of trickery are at times pointed out.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Psychologist Susan Cain, in Quiet, says introverts thrive in solitude, delivering their best work without the social stimulus overload of open offices and needing to play political gamesmanship.—
Jack Kelly,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
The characters surrounding Matt embody that gamesmanship.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The Freedom of Information Act was passed in 1966 to increase government transparency in response to a rise in government secrecy during the Cold War.—
Reshma Ramachandran,
The Conversation,
16 Apr. 2025
-
And how would the actual Fielder, working in tight-lipped secrecy with a team that includes writers Carrie Kemper, Eric Notarnicola and Adam Locke-Norton, advance a master narrative that had already reached such a satisfying conclusion?—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
15 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hanky-panky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hanky-panky. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
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