1
as in cunning
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means
a shady salesman who usually relies on a combination of quick thinking and guile
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2
as in deception
the inclination or practice of misleading others through lies or trickery
a person so full of guile he can't even be trusted to give you the correct time of day
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Recent Examples of guile
Avery had rolled out his deadly plans with all the guile and strategic know-how that his navy training had taught him.
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Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
Opponents had underestimated the grit and guile of someone who grew up poor, cut his teeth in the labor and immigrant rights movements and wasn’t about to leave the good life of politics just because a bunch of wokosos screamed at him.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024
That is partly because smaller armies facing larger foes must rely on guile over brawn.
—Shashank Joshi, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
But his familiar guile is now facing its greatest test.
—Robert Draper, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for guile 
Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
Opponents had underestimated the grit and guile of someone who grew up poor, cut his teeth in the labor and immigrant rights movements and wasn’t about to leave the good life of politics just because a bunch of wokosos screamed at him.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024
That is partly because smaller armies facing larger foes must rely on guile over brawn.
—Shashank Joshi, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
But his familiar guile is now facing its greatest test.
—Robert Draper, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for guile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guile
Noun
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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
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Successful criminals need to have discipline, a plan, patience, and cunning.Erin Qualey, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2024
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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The film depicts a struggling impersonator of P. Ramlee, Malaysia’s most famous film director, who lives a life of deceit while trying to pay off debts and save his sister’s life.Patrick Frater, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024
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Entrepreneurs, as well as their investors, partners, and employees risk becoming complicit in deceit when reality does not meet expectations.IESE Business School, Forbes, 25 Sep. 2024
Noun
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July 29 - Protests break out in several Venezuelan cities after Nicolas Maduro is formally declared the winner by the county’s electoral authority in a presidential race marred by accusations of electoral fraud.CNN, CNN, 21 Nov. 2024
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In the exceedingly rare cases where fraud is attempted, it is caught and prosecuted.David Becker, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Guile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guile. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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