Thesaurus results for SUBTLENESS

subtleness

noun

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

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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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for subtleness

Noun

At least all of that exhibited a malign cunning, a kind of instrumental rationality.

— Andrew Koppelman, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026
Lethally charming and a natural chameleon, Conal uses social cunning and ruthlessness to get the job done and always gets a thrill out of completing a mission.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of cunning

Noun

But outside Barbie Land, the irony had all the subtlety of Ken’s Mojo Dojo Casa House.

— Serena Turner, Vanity Fair, 3 Nov. 2026
Opponents say that the constitutional amendment stream-rolls subtlety allowed under state law, like teaching foreign languages in public schools.

— Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of subtlety

Noun

The term seems to imply a mastery of all the resources of a form, displayed in a surprising context without self-conscious artfulness.

— Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
No need to get bogged down in questions about provenance, artfulness, long-form storytelling, or even metaphors.

— Robin Givhan, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of artfulness

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“Subtleness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subtleness. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of subtleness

noun

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