1
as in cunning
clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means
we always left it to our most devious friends to find out the latest information
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in twisted
marked by a long series of irregular curves
a devious trail through the swampland
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in unnatural
departing from some accepted standard of what is normal
her behavior is devious because of a developmental disorder
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of devious
Traditionally, the Huntsman, a character who received his own (sorta) spinoff in 2012 with Snow White and the Huntsman, is ordered by the Queen to kill Snow White but neglects the devious deed.
—
Randall Colburn, EW.com, 16 Mar. 2025
Some devious fun and games ensue and promptly backfire.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
This flashback kickoff, which looks to tell the devious origin story of the megachurch-leading Gemstone clan, went from long shot to lock quickly.
—Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2025
This devious methodology tricked Google’s Play Store defenses by using a vanilla version of the app as an initial trojan horse before updating with the fraudulent ad code, an update not a new app.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for devious
Randall Colburn, EW.com, 16 Mar. 2025
Some devious fun and games ensue and promptly backfire.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
This flashback kickoff, which looks to tell the devious origin story of the megachurch-leading Gemstone clan, went from long shot to lock quickly.
—Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2025
This devious methodology tricked Google’s Play Store defenses by using a vanilla version of the app as an initial trojan horse before updating with the fraudulent ad code, an update not a new app.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for devious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devious
Adjective
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Unlike Mitch McConnell, the taciturn and cunning leader at the time, Thune genuinely tried to answer questions.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2025
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But what Neil is accused of is something well beyond cunning or perfidy or faithlessness, well beyond questionable morality.—
Mikal Gilmore,
Rolling Stone,
16 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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In the Path of Herbicides Curled, twisted, and distorted tomato plant leaves are signs of herbicide damage.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Apr. 2025
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Roads connecting towns and outlying villages were torn and twisted, slowing rescue and relief efforts, including the delivery of heavy machinery such as excavators and backhoes.—
Ross Adkin,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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While some can be used across different hair textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, colors (natural and unnatural), and concerns, many are created with specific consumers and their needs in mind.—
Jailynn Taylor,
Allure,
5 Apr. 2025
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The body can also adapt to constant stress by staying in a heightened state of alertness, making peace feel unnatural.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Plus, shop cute styles for brunch with friends or date night.—
Isabel Garcia,
People.com,
3 Apr. 2025
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This cute upstairs cafe at the English Market is a great choice for tea, cakes or lunch.—
Joanne Shurvell,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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All 128 overwater bungalows are connected by a long, winding boardwalk.—
Jess Feldman,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Mar. 2025
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Samia only needs the smallest thread to unravel winding truths about everything from womanhood and heartbreak to road trips and songwriting.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Symptoms of the condition can include shortness of breath, a sudden drop in blood pressure, an abnormal heart rate, and bleeding from the uterus, C-section, or IV sites.—
Korin Miller,
SELF,
8 Apr. 2025
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Tau tangles are also implicated in other neurological diseases such as frontal lobe dementia, or FTD, and Lewy body dementia in which abnormal clumps of a protein called alpha-synuclein accumulate in the brain’s neurons.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The game is a fun but challenging exercise for your brain which asks players to group words based on subtle and sometimes tricky connections, which tests your logic and language skills.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
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Mulaney’s approach to social commentary on his show is even more subtle; sometimes, concentrating a sketch on a character like Willy Loman is enough.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Cruise cancellations are relatively unusual but can happen for a number of other reasons, including when a ship is chartered or needs to go to dry dock.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2025
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Separately, just days before the start date, Read made the unusual move of adding an alternate juror from her first trial to her legal team, according to media reports citing court records.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
28 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Devious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devious. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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