devil's advocate
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In her first SCiLL class, Allen said, “There were definitely people who’d signed up to play devil’s advocate in what they assumed would be a conservative class.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026
Playing devil’s advocate: He may be responding to a new person in his home who is being kind and helpful.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 1, 2025
News website Ukrayinska Pravda even called him "the devil's advocate".
From BBC • May 24, 2025
But I'll indulge in a moment of playing devil's advocate.
From Salon • Apr. 16, 2024
In Rome the advocatus diaboli, or devil’s advocate, had been established as early as 1587 to test the evidence adduced in support of the miracles claimed for those proposed for canonization.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
