1
as in cunning
clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means
the movie pairs a sly, dissembling ex-con with an upstanding, straight-arrow cop
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shady
given to acting in secret and to concealing one's intentions
why, you sly fellow! I had no idea you were planning my birthday party a sly undercover police officer
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in mischievous
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness
a sly sense of humor
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sly
Until Victor, in a truly sly move, literalizes it and gives you one last gem of a speech.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 27 June 2025
Some fans took it as a sly comment towards her relationship.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 25 June 2025
In a moment of sly genius, Duke gained entry by concealing himself as one of Lyle’s ghostly henchmen using a rubber band and a piece of white tissue as his disguise.
—Hazlitt, 18 June 2025
From sly grog shops to speakeasies, people created places to connect and celebrate, even when the world tried to keep them apart.
—Rebecca Styn, Rolling Stone, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sly
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 27 June 2025
Some fans took it as a sly comment towards her relationship.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 25 June 2025
In a moment of sly genius, Duke gained entry by concealing himself as one of Lyle’s ghostly henchmen using a rubber band and a piece of white tissue as his disguise.
—Hazlitt, 18 June 2025
From sly grog shops to speakeasies, people created places to connect and celebrate, even when the world tried to keep them apart.
—Rebecca Styn, Rolling Stone, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sly
Adjective
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The Residence starred Uzo Aduba as quirky detective Cordelia Cupp, who uses her cunning intellect and obsessive bird-watching abilities to crack otherwise unsolvable cases.—
Andy Swift,
TVLine,
2 July 2025
-
As for steps that could be taken in the nineteenth century, Lyell managed to invent a cunning way to determine the relative age of geological strata.—
Lewis Hyde,
Harpers Magazine,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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To preserve your tools, clean them off then tuck them away somewhere cooler, dryer, and shadier like a garden shed or garage.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
14 July 2025
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Unlike phishing emails or shady downloads, the malicious code arrived through routine, automatic updates and raised no immediate red flags.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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Her intelligence is that vital and exacting, her wit that mischievous, her concerns – feminism, environmentalism, dystopian societies – that urgently relevant.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 July 2025
-
Wearing a now-iconic red tie and less cartoonish design with more angular and mischievous features, DKC’s version of Kong has been a staple for over 30 years.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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For my family, our go-to choice is always Lake Como with its breathtaking scenery, cute villages, and some of the country’s best luxury hotels in this little part of Northern Italy.—
Michelle Tchea,
Travel + Leisure,
19 July 2025
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Fortunately, Amazon is having a massive sale on cute linen clothes, and prices start at just $20.—
Emily Weaver,
People.com,
19 July 2025
Adjective
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Another sneaky one to watch is starting center Connor McGovern, who is also a free agent after the season.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
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And since his value has been diminished by the fact a logjam at forward made everyone forget about him, a team could nab this sneaky contributor for not too much more than the veteran minimum.—
Mat Issa,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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Tiernan McKinney often works on guitar necks, while Kennedy himself has input along the way on design, wood type, color and the wicked inlays found from top to bottom of each piece.—
Otto Rabe,
The Enquirer,
9 July 2025
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Zayn fought back valiantly, but was cut off in midair with a wicked Spear from Breakker.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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They are intended to reduce trauma to the scalp, may contribute to smoother recovery, and are designed to help achieve subtle, natural-looking outcomes.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
12 July 2025
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The accessory was a subtle nod to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, whose colors have been green and purple since 1909.—
Renan Botelho,
Footwear News,
12 July 2025
Adjective
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Tom Cruise may shoot furtive glances at co-stars, punch of co-stars in the face and/or betray co-stars for the good of mankind.—
Keith Sharon,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
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Mounting fear within the Jewish and Conservative communities of New York is that Mamdani’s furtive stance of justice for Palestine and divestment from Israel is stoking the flame of more virulent Anti-Semitism to come.—
Alexandra Bregman,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sly. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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