Definition

1. Verb:
   • To deceive or trick someone, often by concealing one's true intentions or motives. This typically involves using cunning, elaborate pretenses, or false appearances to mislead another person and achieve a goal.
   • (Archaic) To blindfold or cover someone's eyes.

Examples of Usage

• Verb (Deceive):
  • The con artist tried to hoodwink the elderly couple into investing their savings in a fake company.
  • Don't let their friendly smiles hoodwink you; they are only interested in selling you something.
• Verb (Archaic - Blindfold):
  • In the old game, they would hoodwink the participant before spinning them around.

Advanced Usage

• "to hoodwink someone into doing something": to trick or deceive someone so that they perform a specific action.
  • The salesman hoodwinked me into buying a warranty I didn't need.
• "to be hoodwinked by": to be successfully deceived by someone or something.
  • Many investors were hoodwinked by the fraudulent scheme.

Variants and Related Words

• Hoodwinker (noun): A person who hoodwinks or deceives others.
  • The notorious hoodwinker was finally caught by the police.
• Hoodwinking (gerund/noun): The act of deceiving someone.
  • His hoodwinking of the committee was a masterclass in manipulation.

Synonyms

• Bamboozle: To confuse or trick someone, often in a playful or elaborate way.
• Dupe: To deceive or trick someone who is easily fooled.
• Beguile: To charm or enchant someone, sometimes deceptively.
• Mislead: To cause someone to have a wrong idea or impression.

Related Phrasal Verbs

(Note: "Hoodwink" is not typically used in standard phrasal verb constructions. The deception is usually expressed directly or with prepositions like "into" as shown in Advanced Usage.)

Related Idioms

• Pull the wool over someone's eyes: To deceive someone. This idiom is a close conceptual synonym for "hoodwink."
  • He thought he could pull the wool over my eyes, but I knew the truth all along.

Verb

1. conceal one's true motives from especially by elaborately feigning good intentions so as to gain an end
   • He bamboozled his professors into thinking that he knew the subject well
2. influence by slyness