1
2
: showing reluctance to make a definite commitment
a coy response
coyly
adverb
coyness
noun
Examples of coy in a Sentence
Adjective
It is distinctly odd to read a whole page dedicated to Hitler's life and character without a reference to his anti-Semitism. To say that Swiss banks contained gold coming from the bank accounts, the jewelry boxes, and the teeth of "concentration camp victims" is a little coy.
—
Ian Buruma, New Republic, 31 Jan. 2000
Rival camps are terrified that Bush will reject federal matching funds and the campaign-spending limits they impose, and Bush's aides are coy on the subject.
—John F. Dickerson, Time, 8 Mar. 1999
And there's Julia, the charming "chatterbot" (a text-based computer character), whose coy pickup banter echoes that of real-life Internet flirts.
—Michiko Kakutani, Albany (New York) Times-Union, 20 Aug. 1997
I didn't like her coy manner.
He gave a coy answer.
Ian Buruma, New Republic, 31 Jan. 2000
Rival camps are terrified that Bush will reject federal matching funds and the campaign-spending limits they impose, and Bush's aides are coy on the subject.
—John F. Dickerson, Time, 8 Mar. 1999
And there's Julia, the charming "chatterbot" (a text-based computer character), whose coy pickup banter echoes that of real-life Internet flirts.
—Michiko Kakutani, Albany (New York) Times-Union, 20 Aug. 1997
I didn't like her coy manner.
He gave a coy answer.
Recent Examples on the Web
David Weigel, semafor.com, 18 July 2025
After the former Philadelphia Eagles player saw his brother's reaction, Travis gave him a coy shrug.
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 13 July 2025
For days leading up to that move, Trump was coy about his intentions as the world watched and wondered where American intervention in another Middle Eastern war might lead.
—Ronald J. Hansen, AZCentral.com, 3 July 2025
If the brothers are coy and circumspect about their personal lives, their working relationship is slightly less obtuse.
—Katherine Turman, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for coy
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Adjective
The real Democratic conversation about a post-Trump agenda won’t get underway until 2027, when their presidential candidates stop being so coy about what brought them to Charleston and Nashua.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 18 July 2025
After the former Philadelphia Eagles player saw his brother's reaction, Travis gave him a coy shrug.
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 13 July 2025
For days leading up to that move, Trump was coy about his intentions as the world watched and wondered where American intervention in another Middle Eastern war might lead.
—Ronald J. Hansen, AZCentral.com, 3 July 2025
If the brothers are coy and circumspect about their personal lives, their working relationship is slightly less obtuse.
—Katherine Turman, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for coy
Cite this Entry
“Coy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coy. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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