variants
or less commonly cagy
cagier; cagiest
1
: hesitant about committing oneself
officials are cagey about giving out details
2
a
: wary of being trapped or deceived : shrewd
a cagey consumer
b
: marked by cleverness
a cagey reply
Examples of cagey in a Sentence
a cagey old politician who is exceptionally skilled at getting federal money for his district
when it came time to sign the contract, he suddenly got cagey about taking on the job
Recent Examples on the Web
Further, the non-call and subsequent call in the final 5 minutes of the free 30 minutes were monumental in a mostly cagey match.
—
Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2026
It’s been expected Volpe would make his season debut Friday against the Baltimore Orioles, but Boone was cagey when asked about that possibility before Wednesday’s game.
—Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Unseld was cagey about the playing-time restrictions for all three players, declining to share details about any of their medical limits during his pregame news conference.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
While department officials initially were cagey about whether pepper spray would be allowed at the new Kilpatrick, the department ultimately determined officers would not carry it.
—Jason Henry, Daily News, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cagey
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Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2026
It’s been expected Volpe would make his season debut Friday against the Baltimore Orioles, but Boone was cagey when asked about that possibility before Wednesday’s game.
—Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Unseld was cagey about the playing-time restrictions for all three players, declining to share details about any of their medical limits during his pregame news conference.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
While department officials initially were cagey about whether pepper spray would be allowed at the new Kilpatrick, the department ultimately determined officers would not carry it.
—Jason Henry, Daily News, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cagey
Cite this Entry
“Cagey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cagey. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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