Idiom idiom
artful dodger
Meaning
A crafty person who commits minor crimes or behaves in a rather unscrupulous manner.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“That artful dodger always finds a way to avoid paying his share.”
“The manager suspected the artful dodger in the office was stealing supplies, but he never left any evidence behind.”
“Despite his charming smile and polished manners, the local politician was known as an artful dodger who frequently manipulated the truth to escape accountability.”
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Last updated August 10, 2026