Synonyms of cagey

cagey

adjective

ˈkā-jē 

variants also cagy

1

as in cunning

clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means

a cagey old politician who is exceptionally skilled at getting federal money for his district

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cunning
• cute
• slick
• subtle
• deceptive
• wily
• dishonest
• fraudulent
• shrewd
• sly
• treacherous
• tricky
• crafty
• crooked
• beguiling
• artful
• scheming
• devious
• designing
• foxy
• guileful
• shady
• dodgy
• deceitful
• calculating
• slippery
• astute
• sharp
• glib
• unscrupulous
• sneaky
• covert
• shifty
• clandestine
• oblique
• undercover
• Machiavellian
• facile
• plotting
• underhanded
• hypocritical
• serpentine
• circular
• knavish
• secret
• underhand
• circuitous
• roundabout
• concealed
• insincere
• furtive
• surreptitious
• backhanded
• insinuating
• stealthy
• two-faced
• mealy
• smooth-tongued
• mealymouthed
• double-dealing
• left-handed
• hugger-mugger

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ingenuous
• guileless
• innocent
• artless
• obvious
• open
• public
• plain
• outspoken
• forthright
• frank
• real
• honest
• candid
• simple
• direct
• sincere
• straightforward
• unaffected
• unconcealed
• natural
• unpretentious
• patent
• unvarnished
• unsophisticated
• childlike
• aboveboard
• impressionable
• unworldly
• unpretending
• simpleminded
• plainspoken
• undesigning
• unstudied
• trusting
• unforced
• trustful

2

as in reluctant

slow to begin or proceed with a course of action because of doubts or uncertainty

when it came time to sign the contract, he suddenly got cagey about taking on the job

Synonyms & Similar Words

• reluctant
• hesitant
• unwilling
• unsure
• dubious
• loath
• skeptical
• reticent
• uncertain
• indisposed
• disinclined
• timid
• doubtful
• ambivalent
• unenthusiastic
• averse
• conflicted
• questioning
• irresolute
• wobbly
• indecisive
• faltering
• uneager
• infirm
• undecided
• shy
• vacillating
• halting
• fainthearted

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• eager
• enthusiastic
• inclined
• happy
• glad
• keen
• ready
• willing
• disposed
• certain
• sure
• decided
• resolute
• determined
• unquestioning

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of cagey

Expect a slightly cagier affair in the final. — Mark Carey, New York Times, 29 May 2026

Lastly, this squad list suggests Pochettino is likely to lean into the main prinicples of his aggressive, transition-minded tactical identity that has defined most of his club managerial career, rather than adopt a more cautious approach for what can be the cagey stage of international football. — Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026

The company has been cagey about deadlines in the past, and to keep dunnarts alive past birth, Pask’s team would still need to develop a synthetic pouch for the tiny animal — born smaller than a grain of rice — complete with synthetic nipples that get progressively larger as the baby grows. — Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 19 May 2026

Undoubtedly the biggest star on LIV, and among the top handful of players in the world in both talent and fan interest, DeChambeau has been somewhat cagey as to his next move. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026