pretext, excuse, guise, facade, charade, simulation, affectation, deception, subterfuge, masquerade, cover, front, sham, ruse, feint, bluff, artifice, ploy, stratagem, trick, hoax, illusion, falsehood... [more]
deceiving - tricking - duping - misleading - fooling - bamboozling - conning - deluding - swindling - cheating - bluffing - hoaxing - beguiling - scamming - outwitting - hoodooing - flimflamming - snowing - spoofing - gulling - shamming - faking - jiving - finagling - snookering - rooking - defrauding - double-crossing - pulling the wool over - taking in - stringing along - leading astray - playing a trick on - pulling a fast one - putting one over - selling a bill of goods - playing for a sucker - playing for a fool - pulling the rug out from under - leading up the garden path - taking for a ride - putting one past - pulling a con - running a scam - running a game - running a hustle - running a con game - running a grift - running a racket
Hoodwinking implies the act of deceiving or tricking someone often through clever but dishonest means. It involves manipulating someone's perception to believe something that is not true, usually for personal gain or strategic advantage. Common scenarios of hoodwinking can include misleading advertisements, scams, or even small daily lies.