double-dealing

[ duhb-uhl-dee-ling ]

noun

1. duplicity; treachery; deception.

adjective

1. using duplicity; treacherous.

double-dealing

noun

1. 1. action characterized by treachery or deceit
   2. ( as modifier )

      double-dealing treachery

Derived Forms

• ˈdouble-ˈdealer, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of double-dealing¹

First recorded in 1520–30

Example Sentences

This sort of double-dealing is what happens when a “leader” feels beholden to anti-government zealots to keep the job he coveted for so long.

From Los Angeles Times

"It is the height of the double-dealing and impudence peculiar to the U.S. to provoke first and then talk about the so-called 'responsible control over divergence of opinion,'" the commentary said.

From Reuters

His flamboyant personality struck a chord with the Italian electorate, which continued to back him despite allegations of corruption and double-dealing.

From BBC

A devotee of prevarication and double-dealing, Molière would have made the most, in three acts, of stories like these.

From New York Times

Like many issues that seem at first to be solely about race relations, these double-dealing policies are evidence of our atrophying democratic culture.

From Washington Post