skulduggery

noun

skul·dug·gery ˌskəl-ˈdə-g(ə-)rē

ˈskəl-ˌdə-

variants or skullduggery

plural skulduggeries or skullduggeries

Synonyms of skulduggery next

: underhanded or unscrupulous behavior

also : a devious device or trick

Did you know?

Skulduggery, which can also be spelled "skullduggery," was first documented in the mid-19th century spelled as "scull-duggery." Etymologists aren't sure exactly how the word arrived in English, but they do not believe it has anything to do with skulls. It is possibly derived from the now-very-rare "sculduddery," a term once used to refer to gross or lewd conduct, but unfortunately the origins of that word are also unknown.

Examples of skulduggery in a Sentence

tales of espionage and skulduggery the company's apparently healthy bottom line was merely an illusion, the result of years of accounting skulduggery

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

There are many reasons beyond cheating and skulduggery that someone might root or modify their Android device. —

Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 30 July 2024 And so the tale of how the Giants established themselves at the Polo Grounds is told, accurately enough, as a piece of complicated capitalist skulduggery in which the team’s desperate owner bought a controlling interest in the Baltimore Orioles and then dragged its stars north. —

Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024 Schiff’s skulduggery was unfortunate but totally rational under the current system. —

David Daley, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024 This one went smoothly — no claims of rampant rigging, no significant taint of skulduggery — due in large part to the defeat of deepfakes, democracy’s newest enemy. —

Michael Rogers, Twin Cities, 14 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for skulduggery