wiliness

noun

Definition of wilinessnext
1
as in cunning
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means admired the politician's wiliness, but questioned his ethics

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in deception
the inclination or practice of misleading others through lies or trickery her reputation for Machiavellian wiliness made people disinclined to trust her

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wiliness
  1. cunning
  2. deception
  3. deceit
  4. fraud
Noun
  • The movie’s costume designer Tom Broecker says the change highlights the lethal cunning that lurks below the character’s beauty.
    Alexandra Willingham, CNN, 29 Oct. 2024
  • Successful criminals need to have discipline, a plan, patience, and cunning.
    Erin Qualey, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2024
Definition of cunning
Noun
  • But because pressured waterfowl aren’t easy to fool, hunters have been trying to perfect the art of decoy deception to swing the odds in their favor.
    Alice Jones Webb, Outdoor Life, 14 Nov. 2024
  • On Thursday, Prime Video debuted the first trailer for its series adaptation of the 1999 teen movie, all eight episodes premiering Nov. 21 on the streamer, bringing a familiar tale of deception to a new locale with all new characters.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2024
Definition of deception
Noun
  • This ongoing effort has created a web of cruelty, deceit, and corruption in which many unfortunate people are ensnared.
    Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2024
  • Still, the lawsuit has exposed layers of contradictions and deceit in the Saudi government’s portrayal of Omar al-Bayoumi, a middle-aged Saudi graduate student in San Diego who was the central figure in the hijackers’ support network.
    Tim Golden, ProPublica, 11 Sep. 2024
Definition of deceit
Noun
  • Read Article > Elon Musk spent Election Day on X praising men, amplifying anti-immigrant conspiracies, and accusing Democrats of voter fraud.
    Vox Staff, Vox, 6 Nov. 2024
  • But the perception of machine hacks and voter fraud alone is enough to spur violence and lead voters to question the outcome of an election.
    Sam Sabin, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
Definition of fraud
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Thesaurus Entries Near wiliness

wiles

wiliness

wiling

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Cite this Entry

“Wiliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wiliness. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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