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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2
as in twisted
marked by a long series of irregular curves
a devious trail through the swampland
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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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of devious
Shannen Doherty, Christmas Caper (2007) 90210's Shannen Doherty brings her devious ways from Beverly Hills to small-town Connecticut, where her character, a con artist, goes to lay low after a crime gone wrong puts her on the police's radar in this Freeform original.
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EW.com, 15 Dec. 2024
The scammers were devious, said Tom Galvin, executive director of Digital Citizens Alliance.
—Bob Woods, CNBC, 8 Dec. 2024
Your solution is clever, if a bit devious and indirect.
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 6 Dec. 2024
All the odds are on the man who is, intrinsically, the most devious and mediocre — the man who can most adeptly disperse the notion that his mind is a virtual vacuum.
—Caroline Thayer, Fox News, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for devious 
EW.com, 15 Dec. 2024
The scammers were devious, said Tom Galvin, executive director of Digital Citizens Alliance.
—Bob Woods, CNBC, 8 Dec. 2024
Your solution is clever, if a bit devious and indirect.
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 6 Dec. 2024
All the odds are on the man who is, intrinsically, the most devious and mediocre — the man who can most adeptly disperse the notion that his mind is a virtual vacuum.
—Caroline Thayer, Fox News, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for devious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devious
Adjective
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Black Friday had become a competitive event requiring planning and cunning to get the good deals first.—
Mary Meehan,
Forbes,
10 Jan. 2025
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Finding other disease-causing somatic mutations in rheumatology and related specialties will take skill, cunning, and a willingness to test cells and organs throughout the body.—
Jason Liebowitz,
The Atlantic,
2 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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All three films also suggest that their protagonists find their twisted actions thrilling.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
8 Jan. 2025
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Abbott and Qualley do some of the best work of their already notable careers in a film that’s unpredictable, twisted, and, yes, funny.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Labeling something so personal feels almost unnatural.—
Ron Hart,
SPIN,
10 Jan. 2025
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While there are certainly products that can be used across different hair textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, colors (natural and unnatural), and needs, hair products are often created with specific consumers in mind.—
Erin Parker,
Allure,
3 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The kids were very cute & the crates were very broken.—
Tommy Tuberville,
Newsweek,
8 Jan. 2025
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In the cute black-and-white photo, Hailey, who appeared to be makeup-free, could be seen planting a kiss on Jack’s foot and holding onto his ankle.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Here weapons ordered into existence decades ago to fight the West were revived for final acts against a new generation of Russian soldiers, sent over the border by the whim of the Kremlin’s latest occupant — a long and winding case of the boomerang effect, aided by Chinese consumer tech.—
C.J. Chivers Robert Fass Krish Seenivasan Steven Szczesniak,
New York Times,
31 Dec. 2024
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These locations give them better visibility but also provide winding advantages.—
Josh Honeycutt,
Outdoor Life,
19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Compared to male rats that didn’t consume any dye, male rats that ate the most had a significantly higher incidence of tumors — both malignant and benign — as well as abnormal cell growth in the thyroid.—
Karen Kaplan,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Jan. 2025
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Notably, two or more abnormal body fat measurements could still classify an individual as obese, regardless of BMI.—
Dr. Jennifer Miao,
ABC News,
14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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But planet-scale warming is probably affecting weather basically every day, even if the impacts are subtle.—
Alejandra Borunda,
NPR,
13 Jan. 2025
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Cacio e pepe, with its Parmesan and black pepper, is more subtle.—
Lauryn Azu,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Starting Trotter in the playoffs would be an unusual decision by Fangio.—
Brooks Kubena,
The Athletic,
15 Jan. 2025
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The viewer sees what the ghost sees, an unusual approach to the genre that pays off in a third-act twist.—
Emily Zemler,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near devious
Cite this Entry
“Devious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devious. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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