1
as in ruse
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
had to use all of her wiles to convince her guests to stay for dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in deception
the use of clever underhanded actions to achieve an end
it took both wile and cajolery to talk him into it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to fascinate
to attract or delight as if by magic
her stories of the Old South could wile anyone
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wile
Marya E. Gates, IndieWire, 13 Jan. 2025
Meanwhile, Tori and Rachel form a tentative alliance, planning to exert their feminine wiles over their respective male allies to keep each other safe.
—Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2024
Them, 23 Dec. 2024
Disney is betting travelers will be wiling to pay a premium for an elevated Disney experience.
—Bruce Gil, Quartz, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for wile
Noun
Even Bubbles/Tiger Lily is able to use her wit and wiles to secure a $50,000 dollar annulment.
—Marya E. Gates, IndieWire, 13 Jan. 2025
Meanwhile, Tori and Rachel form a tentative alliance, planning to exert their feminine wiles over their respective male allies to keep each other safe.
—Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2024
Verb
Will Smith stars as a penniless Anthony Ramos lookalike fish named Oscar, who wiles away his days scrubbing cetaceans’ tongues clean in the 'Whale Wash,' fantasizing about the good life.
—Them, 23 Dec. 2024
Disney is betting travelers will be wiling to pay a premium for an elevated Disney experience.
—Bruce Gil, Quartz, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for wile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wile
Noun
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This is, of course, a ruse to put Rick in the same room with Jim, who, according to his mother on her deathbed, killed his do-gooder dad.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
31 Mar. 2025
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Frank This character doing all the heavy lifting to keep Rick’s ruse afloat and Sam Rockwell doing all the heavy lifting to keep this plot interesting: Thank you for your service, gentlemen.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
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This capability to detect deception should be a warning to everyone who relies on AI for critical thinking tasks.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
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Not only do language barriers complicate your talking with her parents, but the deception has already begun — this girl has been regularly visiting your home under false pretenses.—
Kwame Anthony Appiah,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Laura is particularly fascinated by all things aquatic, paleontology, nanotechnology, and exploring how science influences daily life.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
3 Apr. 2025
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Football content creator Will Powell — better known by his social media pseudonym, Bryan’s Gunn — has always been fascinated by the linguistic quirks and tropes of football.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
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What Dangerous or Tricky People Might Do Ruda says kids should recognize common tricks that dangerous or tricky person might use to catch them off guard.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
31 Mar. 2025
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If not, there will be a new game released tomorrow with another chance to guess the categories, and Newsweek will be back with more tips and tricks to help you along!—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
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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
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Clay’s Dad, Trevor Photo: Netflix It cannot be said enough that the root of so much of this season’s strife between AD and Clay can be traced back to one man’s flagrant disregard for his marital vows, and his inexplicable decision to involve his kids in the treachery.—
Anusha Praturu,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2024
Verb
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Wynn-Williams was horrified by the situation, but Zuckerberg — charmed by Dzodan’s allegiance to him in the face of possible prosecution by a nation with strict internet laws — wanted to celebrate the moment with a Facebook post, Wynn-Williams says.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
21 Mar. 2025
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Consider how former WeWork CEO Adam Neumann charmed investors and employees with his vision, despite unsustainable business practices.—
Nuala Walsh,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Detectives arrested a man accused in a lottery ticket stealing scheme that netted him and a partner thousands of dollars in winnings, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
7 Apr. 2025
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The scheme is further complicated because Tom Buchanan is cheating on Daisy.—
Ron Grossman,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Criticisms and claims of trickery are at times pointed out.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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But there is no science supporting this trickery in the case of the weight-loss drugs.—
Stephen Moore,
Boston Herald,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wile. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.
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