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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wile
Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 10 Feb. 2025
Several leaders have put out appeals to get funding for salaries related to the PEPFAR program, wile others have terminated staff running their HIV programs, the head of a non-profit told the Miami Herald.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2025
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
The crowd is made up of hard-core skiers and riders undeterred by the wiles of nature or the perils of big-mountain skiing.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 10 Feb. 2025
Several leaders have put out appeals to get funding for salaries related to the PEPFAR program, wile others have terminated staff running their HIV programs, the head of a non-profit told the Miami Herald.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2025
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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Important claims, like whether or not the Los Angeles wildfires were merely a ruse to hide pedophiles.—
Matt Fleming,
Oc Register,
18 May 2025
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But a Southern California man and his co-conspirators devised an elaborate ruse — involving a boatload of fake orders and manipulation of the company’s software — that netted them millions, prosecutors say.—
Kaitlyn Huamani,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2025
Noun
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As an escaped convict posing as a beloved preacher, and as his gentle, upright twin, Robeson embodies a devastating split between appearance and truth, and whose uncanny doubling plays out in a community shaped by racial violence, spiritual deception, and economic precarity.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
21 May 2025
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Ellie, however, cannot abide Joel’s deception, and interrupts to tell the truth to Gail, who then slaps Joel and tells him to leave.—
Adam B. Vary,
Variety,
19 May 2025
Verb
-
Fahy is a lot of fun playing against recent type as a blue-collar woman who has zero interest in the glamorous, opulent world that so fascinates her sister.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
22 May 2025
-
The bear — maybe fascinated by flying soot or maybe out of pure cussedness — had taken a fiendish delight in batting lengths of stovepipe around.—
Ted Updike,
Outdoor Life,
22 May 2025
Noun
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The secret trick of reconciliation is that Congress gets a chance to add tweaks to the budget — to reconcile it — twice every federal fiscal year.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
30 May 2025
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The trick was to keep them distant and yet connected, and find ways to not make the audience wait to see their chemistry, because the John Corbett and Sarah Jessica Parker chemistry is undeniable and a gift.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
29 May 2025
Noun
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Press play below to learn more about Wells’ treachery, and to get a sneak peek at the fugitive interacting with her latest target.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
7 Apr. 2025
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Sinners is one of the great vampire movies of the modern age, mining the legend of these perpetual outsiders who desperately yearn to belong, but whose silky promises are rooted in treachery.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Moore's Michaela is mysterious, commanding, and beyond wealthy, described in the trailer and elsewhere as someone with the ability to charm into subservience.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
22 May 2025
-
Viewers on TikTok were charmed by the emotional reunion.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 May 2025
Noun
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The scheme was investigated by several federal agencies, including the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
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That includes knowing the scheme in the run game, being violent at the point of attack.—
Dan Wiederer,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2025
Noun
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Plus, the live-action shots and remarkable CGI trickery in bringing the Lupo creature to life are seamlessly integrated.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
17 May 2025
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After Susy died suddenly in 1896, Twain wrote an essay, quoted at length by Chernow, about the sick trickery of the Almighty.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
9 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wile. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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