skullduggeries
Acts of deception
Skullduggeries is the plural of skullduggery—underhanded or unscrupulous behavior, especially involving trickery or deception.
The word often appears in contexts of political or financial misconduct: The investigation uncovered years of corporate skullduggeries.
It carries a slightly old-fashioned, almost theatrical tone, suggesting schemes and machinations rather than outright crimes.
Criminal or evil behavior
- plottingDevising a secret plan
- treacheryDeliberate violation of trust
- chicaneryDeception through clever manipulation
- knaveryDishonest or crafty conduct
roguery · trickery · duplicity · scheming · conniving · wiles · artifice · subterfuge
Dishonest abuse of power
- schemesCrafty organized plans
- machinationsCrafty scheming toward goals
- backroom dealsSecret unofficial negotiations
- cover-upsActs of concealing wrongdoing
conspiracies · scandals · manipulation · bribery · gerrymandering · cronyism · embezzlement · graft
Intentional criminal trickery
- embezzlementFraudulent taking of entrusted assets
- cooking the booksManipulating financial statements illegally
- insider tradingIllegal securities transactions using nonpublic information
- Ponzi schemesFraudulent circular financing operations
money laundering · shell companies · tax evasion · price-fixing · accounting fraud · misappropriation · swindling · double-dealing
villainy
Criminal or evil behavior
- plottingDevising a secret plan
- treacheryDeliberate violation of trust
- chicaneryDeception through clever manipulation
knavery · roguery · trickery · duplicity · scheming · conniving · wiles · artifice · subterfuge · deviousness
corruption
Dishonest abuse of power
- schemesCrafty organized plans
- machinationsCrafty scheming toward goals
- backroom dealsSecret unofficial negotiations
cover-ups · conspiracies · scandals · manipulation · bribery · gerrymandering · cronyism · embezzlement · graft · patronage
fraud
Intentional criminal trickery
- embezzlementFraudulent taking of entrusted assets
- cooking the booksManipulating financial statements illegally
- insider tradingIllegal securities transactions using nonpublic information
Ponzi schemes · money laundering · shell companies · tax evasion · price-fixing · accounting fraud · misappropriation · swindling · double-dealing · offshore accounts
skullduggeriesintegrity
Moral soundness and consistency
honesty · uprightness · probity · rectitude · good faith
skullduggeriestransparency
State of being see-through
openness · forthrightness · candor · directness · straightforwardness