DOUBLE-DEALINGS Synonyms: 229 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'double-dealing' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of double-dealing are deception , fraud , subterfuge , and trickery . While all these words mean "the acts or practices of one who deliberately deceives," double-dealing suggests treachery or at least action contrary to a professed attitude. // a go-between suspected of double-dealing

Q: When might 'deception' be a better fit than 'double-dealing'?

The meanings of deception and double-dealing largely overlap; however, deception may or may not imply blameworthiness, since it may suggest cheating or merely tactical resource. // magicians are masters of deception

Q: When is 'fraud' a more appropriate choice than 'double-dealing'?

While in some cases nearly identical to double-dealing , fraud always implies guilt and often criminality in act or practice. // indicted for fraud

Q: When could 'subterfuge' be used to replace 'double-dealing'?

The synonyms subterfuge and double-dealing are sometimes interchangeable, but subterfuge suggests the adoption of a stratagem or the telling of a lie in order to escape guilt or to gain an end. // obtained the papers by subterfuge

Q: When would 'trickery' be a good substitute for 'double-dealing'?

In some situations, the words trickery and double-dealing are roughly equivalent. However, trickery implies ingenious acts intended to dupe or cheat. // resorted to trickery to gain their ends

double-dealing 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of double-dealing

as in fraudulent

marked by, based on, or done by the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value double-dealing business practices that are being investigated by the state's attorney general

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in double

not being or expressing what one appears to be or express the double-dealing salesman never told me that the car had been in an accident and repaired

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in deceptive

given to or marked by cheating and deception the double-dealing team owners were pitting the two cities against one another, both of whom badly wanted the franchise

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

double-dealing

2 of 2

noun

ˌdə-bəl-ˈdē-liŋ

as in deception

the inclination or practice of misleading others through lies or trickery a go-between suspected of double-dealing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun double-dealing differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of double-dealing are deception, fraud, subterfuge, and trickery. While all these words mean "the acts or practices of one who deliberately deceives," double-dealing suggests treachery or at least action contrary to a professed attitude.

a go-between suspected of double-dealing

When might deception be a better fit than double-dealing?

The meanings of deception and double-dealing largely overlap; however, deception may or may not imply blameworthiness, since it may suggest cheating or merely tactical resource.

magicians are masters of deception

When is fraud a more appropriate choice than double-dealing?

While in some cases nearly identical to double-dealing, fraud always implies guilt and often criminality in act or practice.

indicted for fraud

When could subterfuge be used to replace double-dealing?

The synonyms subterfuge and double-dealing are sometimes interchangeable, but subterfuge suggests the adoption of a stratagem or the telling of a lie in order to escape guilt or to gain an end.

obtained the papers by subterfuge

When would trickery be a good substitute for double-dealing?

In some situations, the words trickery and double-dealing are roughly equivalent. However, trickery implies ingenious acts intended to dupe or cheat.

resorted to trickery to gain their ends

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 double-dealing

Adjective

The notion of reputational damage is alien to someone whose image was long ago tarnished beyond repair by grifting, lying, bullying, and double-dealing. — Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026

Noun

For some of King’s followers, her double-dealing also is difficult to let go. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 28 May 2026 But that rhetoric sounded hollow in the face of its dalliance with a drug-smuggling double-dealing despot like Noriega. — Time, 25 Nov. 2025 Making his Broadway debut, Burr is a cyclone as the fast-talking, double-dealing Dave Moss, who springs a plan to steal the leads on his unwilling accomplice, George Aaronow (McKean, drolly exasperated). — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2025 Mullen's righthand man, Roger Carlson (Jesse Plemons), was double-dealing with billionaire Robert Lyndon (Clark Gregg), who ultimately ordered a hit on him in Episode 4. — Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2025 Through his double-dealing with the government, Carmine Falcone was Gotham’s top crime boss for over two decades, accruing massive wealth, political influence, and an elite status. — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 21 Oct. 2024 Far from being some dastardly act of espionage and double-dealing, Cartwright made his fateful choice out of love. — Erik Kain, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024 While the Biden Administration seems to perceive Cambodia as an amenable partner, Manet is double-dealing Beijing and Washington. — Sam Rainsy, TIME, 24 June 2024

Recent Examples of Synonyms for double-dealing

Adjective

Brazil's Supreme Court is investigating claims that Bolsonaro used a sports betting company to launder fraudulent deductions from government pensions paid to senior citizens.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2026
Verify the breach notification before responding Scammers frequently use real data breaches as an excuse to send fraudulent emails.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of fraudulent

Adjective

By refining double magnetic resonance for a single atom, the team demonstrated a way to address these different magnetic components independently.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026
Jackson Chourio had a single and double, improving to 10 for 20 in the Series.

— Ronald Blum, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of double

Adjective

Supporters say licensing will give California the authority to act on any complaints, and to investigate and penalize companies for unfair or deceptive practices.

— Audrey McGlinchy, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
Esparza pushed back against the claim that the group was being deceptive.

— Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of deceptive

Noun

The investigation also found that men from 29 countries were recruited through deception or coercion to fight for Russian forces, in violation of international law.

— Edith M. Lederer, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
But the movie’s most disturbing sequence takes the deception a lot further.

— Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of deception

Adjective

The debate also took on an edgy, deeply personal tone, as the candidates repeatedly accused each other of being dishonest or misleading.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
The other coach is dishonest and decides to strategically rank their players in a different order.

— Dana Mackenzie, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of dishonest

Adjective

While policymakers debate new privacy laws, doctors such as Julien Cavanagh say they are left to fix the mess that targeted online ads for fake cures create for patients’ health.

— Washington Post, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2026
Criminals can imitate those messages to create panic and lure people toward fake login pages.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of fake

Adjective

Both about power-mad blondes getting involved with the shadier side of the medical industrial complex, but Matt Hagen’s nanites worked, dammit!

— Bethy Squires, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2026
Many shady electronics companies are happy to sell you the wrong component for the wrong price.

— Tim Stevens, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of shady

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“Double-dealing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/double-dealing. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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