Hoodwink
/ˈhʊdwɪŋk/
verbB2
Definition
To hoodwink someone means to fool them by hiding the real facts or making them believe something that is not true. It often involves tricking someone in a clever or sneaky way. The word is used when someone is made to believe a lie or is confused on purpose.
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See It in Action
To trick or deceive someone by hiding the truth
- •The salesman hoodwinked the customer into buying a broken car.
- •They tried to hoodwink the voters with false promises.
- •She was hoodwinked by a fake email asking for money.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "hoodwink" like "trick," but with a secret or sneaky action that hides the truth.
- ✓Picture someone wearing a hood over their eyes, so they cannot see what is really happening.
- ✓It's the feeling when you realize someone has lied to you in a clever way, and you feel surprised or confused.
- ✓Sounds like "HOOD-wink" → imagine a person winking while covering your eyes with a hood, hiding the truth playfully but secretly.
- ✓In stories, a thief or magician might hoodwink others by hiding their real plan.
- ✓NOT like "confuse" (which means not understanding), hoodwink means someone is actively trying to fool you.
- ✓NOT like "mistake" (accidental error), hoodwink is a planned trick by someone.
- ✓NOT like "lie" alone, hoodwink involves making the person believe the lie by hiding facts or using cleverness.
Try Other Words
- •Deceive: to make someone believe something false (Use when focusing on the act of lying or misleading)
- •Trick: to fool someone, often playfully or cleverly (Use for less serious or playful deception)
- •Fool: to make someone believe something untrue (Use when the focus is on making someone look stupid or mistaken)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "hood" + "wink" — "hood" means a covering for the head; "wink" is closing one eye quickly, often to signal a secret
- •Etymology: From old English, meaning to cover the eyes (with a hood) and wink to deceive or blindfold someone
- •Historical development: Originally meaning to blindfold or cover someone's eyes to trick them; later used for tricking or deceiving in general
- •Modern usage: Used mostly in informal or literary contexts to describe clever or sneaky deception
Reflect & Connect
•Can hoodwinking ever be harmless fun, or is it always wrong? When might it be acceptable?
•How can you protect yourself from being hoodwinked in everyday life?
Fill in the blanks
1.The con artist hoodwinked the victims by ___ their real intentions with smooth words.
2.People feel angry when they realize they have been hoodwinked because someone ___ their trust.
3.Unlike simply confusing someone, to hoodwink means to ___ them on purpose.
4.The politician was accused of trying to hoodwink voters by making ___ promises.
5.When someone hoodwinks another, they often do it ___, hiding important facts.
6.If you are careful, you can avoid being hoodwinked by checking all ___ carefully.
7.The magician hoodwinked the audience by making them ___ what really happened.