as in cunning
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means
we were both impressed and outraged by the expert slickness with which the swindler fooled us
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Recent Examples of slickness
The oil-free, non-comedogenic, chemical formula won’t clog pores, while silica and perlite absorb excess shine, leaving behind a matte finish that keeps midday slickness in check.
—
Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 22 May 2026
But there’s an innate slickness to drone footage that can turn a shot of, say, a South Texas Starbucks into a joke, and there’s a mechanical quality to the way drones glide through the air that, even if controlled by a human, feels impersonal — a view from nowhere.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 May 2026
And despite the Grand Hotel Belvedere's slickness, behind the scenes it is run according to the sweet sort of interdependence demanded by any small town but especially one so isolated.
—Alice Gregory, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026
He was ruled offside, but the poor timing of his run takes nothing away from the slickness of the combination, nor the effectiveness of the tactic.
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
Untouched by any chain stores or contemporary slickness, the neighborhood’s highlights include the Tea House on Los Rios inside a 1911 Victorian, cottage-like Hummingbird House Cafe and Hidden House Coffee found inside a Craftsman.
—Staff Report, Oc Register, 17 Sep. 2025
There’s a slickness about the style of everyone who lives here, and Missy captures that.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 9 Sep. 2025
Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 22 May 2026
But there’s an innate slickness to drone footage that can turn a shot of, say, a South Texas Starbucks into a joke, and there’s a mechanical quality to the way drones glide through the air that, even if controlled by a human, feels impersonal — a view from nowhere.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 May 2026
And despite the Grand Hotel Belvedere's slickness, behind the scenes it is run according to the sweet sort of interdependence demanded by any small town but especially one so isolated.
—Alice Gregory, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026
He was ruled offside, but the poor timing of his run takes nothing away from the slickness of the combination, nor the effectiveness of the tactic.
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
Untouched by any chain stores or contemporary slickness, the neighborhood’s highlights include the Tea House on Los Rios inside a 1911 Victorian, cottage-like Hummingbird House Cafe and Hidden House Coffee found inside a Craftsman.
—Staff Report, Oc Register, 17 Sep. 2025
There’s a slickness about the style of everyone who lives here, and Missy captures that.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slickness
Noun
-
For everyone else, including this freelance journalist without an expense account, the approach is more like a military-level obstacle course designed to test your cunning and will.—
Jada Yuan,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
-
The quality that drew Kurosawa to Yonezawa’s novel in the first place is not valor or cunning but something considerably less heroic.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
But then again, this was a decade when subtlety seemed to have been banned at the city limits.—
Peter Lyon,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
Senegal home Sporting uniforms are not usually a canvas on which artists aim for subtlety.—
Ashley Fetters Maloy,
Washington Post,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Mike Bowman, designer, furniture industry expert, and director of marketing for Harmonia Living, says this trend relies on furnishings to bring artfulness to a space—rather than just functionality.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
-
There is a real seriousness to the score — the scheming bad-guy music has the artfulness of Prokofiev, and even the sneaking-around cues have musical integrity and structure.—
Tim Greiving,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The harp is not an instrument of slyness, wryness, or the earth.—
Emma Madden,
Pitchfork,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Like the tricksters of myth, there’s depth to their slyness.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This woven crossbody blends fashion and function with ease.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
18 June 2026
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That same ease carries through when the pail is full.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
The real surprise comes from the subtleness of the rose.—
Katlyn Moncada,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Even at 35, the German has the guile to make an impact in the Premier League.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
15 June 2026
-
Age and guile, as the old saying goes, beat youth and skill every time.—
Peter Lucas,
Boston Herald,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slickness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slickness. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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