variants
or skullduggery
as in deception
the use of clever underhanded actions to achieve an end
the company's apparently healthy bottom line was merely an illusion, the result of years of accounting skulduggery
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of skulduggery
And so the tale of how the Giants established themselves at the Polo Grounds is told, accurately enough, as a piece of complicated capitalist skulduggery in which the team’s desperate owner bought a controlling interest in the Baltimore Orioles and then dragged its stars north.
—
Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
Schiff’s skulduggery was unfortunate but totally rational under the current system.
—David Daley, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024
This one went smoothly — no claims of rampant rigging, no significant taint of skulduggery — due in large part to the defeat of deepfakes, democracy’s newest enemy.
—Michael Rogers, Twin Cities, 14 Jan. 2024
In a separate incident of apparent skulduggery in 2007, Belichick was fined a league maximum of $500,000.
—Bill Pennington, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2024
See All Example Sentences for skulduggery
Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
Schiff’s skulduggery was unfortunate but totally rational under the current system.
—David Daley, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024
This one went smoothly — no claims of rampant rigging, no significant taint of skulduggery — due in large part to the defeat of deepfakes, democracy’s newest enemy.
—Michael Rogers, Twin Cities, 14 Jan. 2024
In a separate incident of apparent skulduggery in 2007, Belichick was fined a league maximum of $500,000.
—Bill Pennington, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2024
See All Example Sentences for skulduggery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skulduggery
Noun
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Through shocking testimonies from government insiders, confidential documents, and private audio recordings from the highest level of the military, BODYGUARD OF LIES exposes the tangled web of deception fed to the American public by the U.S. government during its 20-year war in Afghanistan.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
7 May 2025
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Mauriello, a senior lecturer at the University of Maryland, said in his experience, people's sympathetic nervous system could be activated by a host of reasons — beyond deception.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
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While shocking nonprofit chicanery has found itself in the media spotlight, the story of one West Texas charity deserves to be told and to inspire.—
Jack Fowler,
National Review,
7 Apr. 2025
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The more processes and services a security tool contains, the more opportunities for such chicanery.—
PCMAG,
PCMAG,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The line that the AI isn’t forming a personal opinion is a kind of sneaky subterfuge.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
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Even under sweeping Western sanctions, Russia was able to stay afloat through subterfuge and with support from allies like China and North Korea.—
Linggong Kong,
The Conversation,
25 Mar. 2025
Noun
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But Scott has the power of love on his side (though the power of self-respect would serve him better) and, like many an underdog, relies more on clever trickery than physical prowess to win most of the battles.—
EW Staff,
EW.com,
3 Apr. 2025
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The ability to render the real world using charcoal is utter trickery.—
Emily Wilson,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Contract disputes, regulatory delays and political gamesmanship have choked off investment in transmission and generation.—
Dan Eberhart,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
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Or maybe — just maybe — there’s some gamesmanship at play.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But here, Gyllenhaal mesmerizes in a career-best performance that taps into the infinite well of his talent, portraying Iago’s scorching resentment, guile and humor.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA TODAY,
24 Mar. 2025
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All of which is to say, Cooper is very good at playing someone adept at persuasion, either through intimidation or guile.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
9 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Between April 1 and 7, the fair gathered 60 brands at the Palexpo exhibition center that broke new records, showcased world premieres and offered an ever-growing array of technical and artistic legerdemain in their latest high-end timepieces.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
17 Apr. 2025
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Congressional legerdemain can’t wave away that reality.—
Howard Gleckman,
Forbes,
4 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Skulduggery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skulduggery. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
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