hornswoggle

verb

ˈhȯrn-ˌswä-gəl How to pronounce hornswoggle (audio)
Definition of hornswogglenext
as in to deceive
to cause to believe what is untrue I think we've been hornswoggled by that carnival barker

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hornswoggle
  1. deceive
  2. trick
  3. fool
Verb
  • Jury Duty has managed to deceive two unsuspecting do-gooders with civic duty and a company retreat.
    — Peter White, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026
  • In this book’s scenario, an explosion at the Siberian lab sets loose a virus that has been designed to spread rapidly, deceive medical professionals, and produce a 100% fatality rate.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of deceive
Verb
  • Artificial intelligence bots posing as immigration lawyers are increasingly prevalent on social media, where their goal is to trick immigrants and their families into paying out thousands of dollars.
    — Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Proponents argue this reveals the AI's full capabilities, including potential for cyberattacks, while critics warn of severe risks like AI wreaking havoc, creating viruses, or tricking humans.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of trick
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
  • Roughly 700 agents ultimately participated in attacks on Hugging Face as part of a broader effort to fool the scorer for a cybersecurity benchmark.
    — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of fool
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.

Browse Nearby Words

horns in
hornswoggle
hornswoggled
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Cite this Entry

“Hornswoggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hornswoggle. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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