1
as in cunning
clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means
a smart and beguiling child who can manipulate her parents with alarming ease
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2
as in misleading
tending or having power to deceive
the beguiling allure of a life of crime
Synonyms & Similar Words
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1
as in fascinating
to attract or delight as if by magic
the magician effortlessly beguiled and amazed the children
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2
as in deceiving
to cause to believe what is untrue
beguiled her into believing that yet another worthless item would enhance her life
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3
as in tempting
to lead away from a usual or proper course by offering some pleasure or advantage
was beguiled by the promise of easy money as a drug dealer
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of beguiling
Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024
Both stories could serve as metaphors for the beguiling, febrile experience of reading Murakami’s best fiction.
—Randy Boyagoda, The Atlantic, 27 Nov. 2024
Since her beguiling breakout role as a nightclub singer in David Lynch’s masterpiece Blue Velvet (1986), Rossellini has navigated her career with a playful spirit.
—Keaton Bell, Vogue, 22 Nov. 2024
The New York alto saxophonist, composer, vocalist and bandleader makes her Bay Area debut this weekend with a series of gigs, introducing a beguiling body of tunes shaped by her Chinese American heritage and deep engagement with various jazz, folk and pop idioms.
—Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for beguiling 
Adjective
Twenty years later, in the present-day thread, TV documentarian Catherine Ravenscroft (Blanchett) is sitting at an awards ceremony, listening as a presenter pontificates on the beguiling power of narrative and form.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024
Both stories could serve as metaphors for the beguiling, febrile experience of reading Murakami’s best fiction.
—Randy Boyagoda, The Atlantic, 27 Nov. 2024
Since her beguiling breakout role as a nightclub singer in David Lynch’s masterpiece Blue Velvet (1986), Rossellini has navigated her career with a playful spirit.
—Keaton Bell, Vogue, 22 Nov. 2024
The New York alto saxophonist, composer, vocalist and bandleader makes her Bay Area debut this weekend with a series of gigs, introducing a beguiling body of tunes shaped by her Chinese American heritage and deep engagement with various jazz, folk and pop idioms.
—Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for beguiling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beguiling
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
Verb
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Arizona's temperature can be deceiving and deadly.—
Shelby Slade,
The Arizona Republic,
2 Jan. 2025
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As Soon As This Week That number is certainly deceiving, though.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes,
30 Dec. 2024
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 coach’s fourth season, the Dolphins need to get less cute and tougher on the ground.—
Josh Kendall,
The Athletic,
7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The Franklin County and River Valley Coalition recently accused officials of the Arkansas Development Finance Authority and a division of the building authority of being deceptive and called for an investigation.—
Alex Golden,
Axios,
6 Jan. 2025
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Penelope in the Odyssey says that dreams that pass through the gate of ivory are deceptive, while those that pass through the gate of horn are real.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
4 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The church was notorious for luring in young industry strivers; one of Scott’s good friends had joined.—
Rachel Syme,
The New Yorker,
23 Dec. 2024
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Underwood, a former grocery store worker, hit the 10-year-old with a cutting board after luring her into his residence, per AP, The Norman Transcript and The Oklahoman.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
People.com,
19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Picture red tuna fish caught that morning cooked in a subtle mix of local spices and topped over fresh linguine or meatier cuts of fish served like steak with fresh vegetables plucked from nearby farms.—
Rooksana Hossenally,
Forbes,
13 Jan. 2025
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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
Adjective
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Of note: Your Content must not be false, defamatory, misleading or hateful, or infringe any copyright or any other third-party rights or otherwise be unlawful.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
19 Jan. 2025
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But instead of mounting a defense of free speech against a lawsuit and Trump’s accusations that the network said were false and completely without merit, Paramount is considering following the example of Disney and tech oligarchs who will line up at the inauguration like Mark Zuckerberg.—
Richard Lawler,
The Verge,
18 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Understanding the critical nature of some of these components, the Federal Government has been enticing companies to bring more manufacturing home.—
Steven Dudash,
Forbes,
31 Dec. 2024
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This lure dangles just above its gaping jaws, enticing prey close enough to be devoured.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes,
30 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near beguiling
Cite this Entry
“Beguiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beguiling. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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