as in cunning
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means
the subtleness with which the boutique owner convinces you that you have to have that outrageously priced article of clothing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of subtleness
The real surprise comes from the subtleness of the rose.
—
Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Apr. 2026
Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subtleness
Noun
-
Maybe the mere fact of having been born illustrious, with no apparent faults, with nothing to prove or to be ashamed of, had liberated John from the resentments the rest of us feel, and from the cunning and ambition such resentments fuel.—
Jeffrey Eugenides,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The Brazil international combines technical craft with a decisive cunning.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Sports fans can appreciate subtlety but there is a reason baseball hosts a home run derby and not a bunt fest, and basketball has a dunk contest in lieu of a layup line.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
-
Fukada stealthily shades in these subtleties of feeling into the story with exacting skill, creating a drama that touches on social issues but never feels issues-driven.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 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
Cite this Entry
“Subtleness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subtleness. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
