variants
or deviltry
1
as in mischief
playful, reckless behavior that is not intended to cause serious harm
children always getting into some devilry
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sorcery
the power to control natural forces through supernatural means
superstitious villagers who were quick to attribute an unexpected occurrence to devilry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of devilry
Dancing spirits, dressed in Victorian-era garb, stir up devilry as the night unfolds.
—
Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Oct. 2025
If Michael Jackson moonwalked so that Prince could show us the face of God with his brain-melting 2007 set, the NFL’s reaction to Fox’s inspired bit of devilry set the stage for the league’s eventual takeover of the American psyche.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Madcap technical devilry, along with a jestful sense of humor, embroiders the edges of his endlessly replayable mix.
—Pitchfork, 30 Sep. 2025
Maybe, Nicholas comes to think, what bedevils him is not a medical condition—the sort of thing a physician can properly diagnose—but the devilry of Pan.
—Scott Stossel, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
As shown in his previous films, Eggers’ sensibility has roots not in contemporary horror but in stories from centuries past that become vivid and febrile, alive with an insidious devilry that inches under your skin.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Dec. 2024
That’s enough devilry to explain at least much of Haiti’s challenges without resorting to tales of satanic influence.
—Matthew Brown, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2024
Shyamalan, to be fair, has lost none of his compositional devilry; notice his bisecting of the screen with clean vertical lines—the trunk of a tree, or the edge of a shower curtain, behind which somebody may or may not lurk.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2023
Suddenly, modernists were jockeying to impose some glass-and-steel devilry atop the old dame.
—Shawn McCreesh, Curbed, 17 Aug. 2021
Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Oct. 2025
If Michael Jackson moonwalked so that Prince could show us the face of God with his brain-melting 2007 set, the NFL’s reaction to Fox’s inspired bit of devilry set the stage for the league’s eventual takeover of the American psyche.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Madcap technical devilry, along with a jestful sense of humor, embroiders the edges of his endlessly replayable mix.
—Pitchfork, 30 Sep. 2025
Maybe, Nicholas comes to think, what bedevils him is not a medical condition—the sort of thing a physician can properly diagnose—but the devilry of Pan.
—Scott Stossel, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
As shown in his previous films, Eggers’ sensibility has roots not in contemporary horror but in stories from centuries past that become vivid and febrile, alive with an insidious devilry that inches under your skin.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Dec. 2024
That’s enough devilry to explain at least much of Haiti’s challenges without resorting to tales of satanic influence.
—Matthew Brown, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2024
Shyamalan, to be fair, has lost none of his compositional devilry; notice his bisecting of the screen with clean vertical lines—the trunk of a tree, or the edge of a shower curtain, behind which somebody may or may not lurk.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2023
Suddenly, modernists were jockeying to impose some glass-and-steel devilry atop the old dame.
—Shawn McCreesh, Curbed, 17 Aug. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devilry
Noun
-
His tics are not naughty mischief, but an uncontrollable action.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
-
No one in Florida had been charged with criminal mischief for defacing a traffic control device until the August arrests.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In a feat of sorcery that should have other sandwich makers crying in their beer, the ciabatta roll here is tender and comparatively thin.—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
-
She was found guilty of heresy and sorcery in 1441.—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Mustard and vinegar provide the devilment for a flavorful bite, particularly when topped with a scattering of scallions and paprika.—
SAVEUR Editors,
Saveur,
5 Feb. 2025
-
But even if truffles are beyond your pay grade, there is plenty of enjoyment to be had in the sheer devilment portrayed in this informative and appetizing book.—
Eugenia Bone,
WSJ,
10 July 2019
Noun
-
Accused of witchcraft on her wedding day, a privileged young bride (Thatcher) is pursued by a ruthless witch hunter (Alwyn).—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Set in 1645, the story sees a privileged young bride (Thatcher) accused of witchcraft on her wedding day and pursued by a ruthless witch hunter (Alwyn).—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There was already this sort of more classical literary style and these more ornate sentences that are doing three different things at once, and some of the playfulness and the provocative and the prurient and the spiritual kind of call to care for the least of the people.—
Peter Larsen,
Oc Register,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Much of the time is spent interacting with young schoolchildren, with whom Galifianakis exhibits a deadpan playfulness — testing them on names of apple varieties (McIntosh?—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The purest example are the rooftop concerts, a rather improbable attempt to bring a little bit of Beatles-style magic to Chicago’s Clark Street, where The Weiner’s Circle is parked.—
Jimmy Jellinek,
SPIN,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The magic of the molcajete, a pre-Hispanic mortar and pestle, is its ability to extract oils in a way the blades of a food processor can’t.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Devilry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devilry. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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