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Synonym Chooser

How is the word artful distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of artful are crafty, cunning, foxy, slick, sly, tricky, and wily. While all these words mean "attaining or seeking to attain one's ends by guileful or devious means," artful implies indirectness in dealing and often connotes sophistication or cleverness.

elicited the information by artful questioning

When might crafty be a better fit than artful?

The meanings of crafty and artful largely overlap; however, crafty implies cleverness and subtlety of method.

a crafty lefthander

When could cunning be used to replace artful?

Although the words cunning and artful have much in common, cunning suggests the inventive use of sometimes limited intelligence in overreaching or circumventing.

the cunning fox avoided the trap

Where would foxy be a reasonable alternative to artful?

The words foxy and artful are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, foxy implies a shrewd and wary craftiness usually involving devious dealing.

a foxy publicity man planting stories

In what contexts can slick take the place of artful?

The words slick and artful can be used in similar contexts, but slick emphasizes smoothness and guile.

slick operators selling time-sharing

When would sly be a good substitute for artful?

In some situations, the words sly and artful are roughly equivalent. However, sly implies furtiveness, lack of candor, and skill in concealing one's aims and methods.

a sly corporate raider

When is it sensible to use tricky instead of artful?

While in some cases nearly identical to artful, tricky is more likely to suggest shiftiness and unreliability than skill in deception and maneuvering.

a tricky political operative

When can wily be used instead of artful?

While the synonyms wily and artful are close in meaning, wily implies skill and deception in maneuvering.

the wily fugitive escaped the posse

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 artful An artful area rug can transform any room, adding a touch of warmth and color that ties together furniture and décor. Maggie Horton, People.com, 24 Aug. 2025 Don’t be afraid to introduce contrast through light and dark tones or a bold pop of color with an artful object. Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Aug. 2025 The cool rush of the editing, the narrow precision of the compositions, the terse chopping of scenes to their minimal dosing of information, is an artful declaration to keep moving along, nothing to see here, none of your business. Richard Brody, New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2025 Much like a plate wall, the plate rack offers a decorative means of showcasing your china collection in a pretty and artful way, just as designer Charlotte Moss did in the kitchen of our 2025 Southern Living Idea House near Charlottesville, Virginia. Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 6 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for artful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for artful
Adjective
  • Bening will costar on the series as Beulah Jackson, who's described as the powerful, cunning, and charming head of a major ranch in Texas.
    Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Joan Silber is a contemporary genius at creating artful stories of a multitude of characters who ricochet in cunning ways, crossing generations and continents.
    Jane Ciabattari September 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Distillation is particularly inventive at Loch Lomond.
    Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Its signature restaurant, FYSH at EDITION, wins the hearts and palates of guests with inventive, scale-to-tail seafood (like vanilla gelato with tuna eyes) amid velvet banquets and tropical plants.
    AFAR Media, AFAR Media, 2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Kirk Baxter’s arrhythmic cutting is designed around quicksilver shifts that, along with Barry Ackroyd’s restlessly attentive, mostly handheld camerawork, allow Bigelow to redirect our attention with virtuoso command.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Ofeefan Long-Sleeve A-Line Ribbed-Knit Mini Dress This mini sweater dress would look cute with a cropped leather jacket and coordinating knee-high boots.
    Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Ouligay Period Bag My teen and her friends always make sure to keep their period stashes organized in one cute pouch like this black one.
    Jacquelyn Smith, Parents, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • This can be read as a clever knock on some of the mockumentary-format comedies that followed The Office, often — ahem, Modern Family — failing to provide any actual reason for the doc-style shooting and talking-head interviews.
    Jesse Hassenger, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
  • But poems are cleverer than the people who write them.
    Leila Chatti September 5, Literary Hub, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The more success rolled, the more damage done, the more skillful the hack and so on.
    Rob Wieland, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
  • Powell, skillful at opaque Fed-speak, nonetheless signaled a simulative change is likely.
    Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • This planet is electric, unpredictable and genius with its approach, but its transits are anything but subtle.
    Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Even subtle light or noise can disrupt sleep cycles, preventing you from reaching the deeper, most restorative stages of sleep necessary for physical and mental recovery.
    Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Can any of those innovative ideas help solve Miami-Dade’s growing waste crisis?
    Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
  • The rich use their muscle; the poorer must be more innovative to succeed.
    Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Artful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artful. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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