Which word means deception by craft or guile?

• A. Capricious
• B. Chicanery
• C. Credulous
• D. Corroborate

Answer: (B)

Chicanery captures deception achieved through craft or guile—the use of sly, misleading tricks to mislead others. It carries a sharp negative connotation of underhanded manipulation, often in social, legal, or political contexts. In contrast, capricious means unpredictable or whimsical behavior, not deception. Credulous describes someone who is overly ready to believe something, which is about gullibility rather than the act of deceiving. Corroborate means to confirm or provide evidence, the opposite of deception. So when the idea is deception through clever trickery, chicanery is the best fit. For example: The negotiator resorted to chicanery to obscure the true terms of the agreement.