as in treacherous
formal
causing harm in a way that is gradual or not easily noticed
Most people with this insidious disease have no idea that they are infected. an insidious enemy
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of insidious
So parties like Germany’s AfD and Hungary’s Fidesz developed an insidious three-step maneuver:
Boldly and loudly champion Israel and its right-wing prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to create pro-Jewish bona fides.
—
Zack Beauchamp, Vox, 19 Mar. 2025
These genocidal campaigns have yet to be globally recognized, yet their lingering effects continue today in more insidious ways due to Kurdish aggression.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025
Further, the countries at the receiving end deserve to be spared the insidious effects of ideological colonization.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
The researchers even showed that the flavors can be released remotely through an online connection, which has both fun and truly insidious implications.
—Michael Irving, New Atlas, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insidious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insidious
Adjective
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Their stories are full of danger: treacherous rivers, unforgiving terrain, and the constant threat of violence and exploitation.—
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But in between lies a tense and treacherous journey…In Wolof and French with English subtitles.—
Adjective
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Adding peas introduces a subtle sweetness and pop of freshness, balancing the richness of the eggs and bacon.—
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The game is a fun but challenging exercise for your brain which asks players to group words based on subtle and sometimes tricky connections, which tests your logic and language skills.—
Adjective
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In the case against Allied Van Lines Moving and Storage, the larger Allied Van Lines Inc. accused the defendant of trademark infringement, false descriptions, federal trademark dilution, cybersquatting, injury to its business reputation and dilution, and misappropriation and unfair competition.—
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Nothing progressive or compassionate about continuing that false hope which attracts people to make those journeys.—
Adjective
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However, when adjusted for inflation, real prices in Turkey have dropped by 10.4 percent, illustrating how price growth can be deceptive without factoring in inflation.—
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Had these assessments been conducted, issues like algorithmic bias, content manipulation and deceptive AI practices would have been flagged before litigators intervened.—
Adjective
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The result is a cacophonous temper tantrum, a vacuous and perfidious advertisement for military recruitment.—
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Jake Gyllenhaal is his foil as the perfidious Iago, who goads Othello into unreasoning jealousy with lies about his beloved Desdemona (Molly Osborne).—
Adjective
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Although some posters online have suggested the streetlamp are emitting ultraviolet or black light, that's incorrect, Davis said.—
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When that happens, inferring eligibility based on the tax unit claiming the child would be incorrect.—
Adjective
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And it’s been even harder for my daughter, Piper, who never did anything wrong.—
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However, the new price on the OnePlus store is about 50 percent higher, putting OnePlus on the wrong side of devices like the Pixel Watch and Apple Watch.—
Cite this Entry
“Insidious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insidious. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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