hoodwinks

verb

present tense third-person singular of hoodwink
as in deceives
to cause to believe what is untrue Tom Sawyer famously hoodwinked the other boys into thinking there was nothing more enjoyable than whitewashing a fence

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hoodwinks Amarildo instantly controls a quick throw-in, skips away from one Czech defender, hoodwinks another with a hip-swerve and, spotting keeper Schrojf off his line, fires the ball in at the near post. — Adam Hurrey, New York Times, 17 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoodwinks
  1. deceives
  2. tricks
  3. fools
Verb
  • Here, the dream carries the true emotional weight, and the waking world is what deceives us.
    — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The complaint also claims that the image deceives customers into thinking Lipa has endorsed the product and dilutes her brand identity.
    — Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 11 May 2026
Definition of deceives
Verb
  • While Bela is using the bathroom, Other Mommy approaches her and tricks her into agreeing that their family would be better if Frank wasn’t around.
    — William Earl, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Twenty-one players, two tribes — there’s still tricks up host Jeff Probst’s sleeve.
    — Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of tricks
Verb
  • Sebastian Galeano fools the Lake Mary defense by carrying it himself and scampers 40 yards for the touchdown.
    — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Runway, Pika, and a dozen others can produce footage that fools the eye on first watch.
    — Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Definition of fools

Browse Nearby Words

hoodwinking
hoodwinks
hooey
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Cite this Entry

“Hoodwinks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoodwinks. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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