cautel
- noun
- /ˈkɔːtəl/
- Archaic
:
astucia
- His cautel was evident in the way he manipulated the situation.
Examples
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In the old play, the hero is undone by the villain's cautel and trickery.
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The politician's cautel was eventually exposed by investigative journalists.
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She warned her friend to beware of his cautel and smooth words.
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She approached the deal with great cautel.
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The detective was impressed by the thief's cunning cautel that helped him evade capture.
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She employed a subtle cautel to gain the trust of the unsuspecting victim.
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His use of cautel allowed him to navigate the complex negotiations without revealing his true intentions.
Synonyms
27
4.9
To use dishonest ways to cheat people
11
7.8
Clever but dishonest way of acting that tricks people
8
9.3
Tricks people use to deceive others to get money or advantage
2
7.0
Secret actions that are dishonest or unfair to get what you want
1
5.8
A clever use of tricks to get what you want from others
1
6.0
Doing things quietly to trick people without them noticing
1
8.2
Skill at tricking people to get what you want
1
6.2
A quality of being clever and secretly using tricks to get what you want
Being clever at getting what you want by tricking others
Antonyms
How Cunning
Surface Forms
Etymology
Cautel also came to mean a clever trick or craft. From Latin cautela, from cavere 'to beware', the idea of careful planning could be used to hide a plan to fool someone, so cautel can mean sly or deceitful cleverness.