1
as in cunning
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means
with well-practiced artfulness, he convinced his mother he was sick enough to stay home from school but not sick enough for a visit to the doctor's office
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in skill
subtle or imaginative ability in inventing, devising, or executing something
building a ship model requires a painstaking artfulness I don't have
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of artfulness
Mike Bowman, designer, furniture industry expert, and director of marketing for Harmonia Living, says this trend relies on furnishings to bring artfulness to a space—rather than just functionality.
—
Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Jan. 2026
There is a real seriousness to the score — the scheming bad-guy music has the artfulness of Prokofiev, and even the sneaking-around cues have musical integrity and structure.
—Tim Greiving, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Jan. 2026
There is a real seriousness to the score — the scheming bad-guy music has the artfulness of Prokofiev, and even the sneaking-around cues have musical integrity and structure.
—Tim Greiving, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for artfulness
Noun
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Because Maradona, in a burst of cunning and trickery, also used his hand.—
Esteban Campanela,
CNN Money,
25 Nov. 2025
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Landing a good apartment in New York City can take some cunning.—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The program is for high school students who are not four-year college bound and provides free mentorship and early career exposure along with help building skills.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Jan. 2026
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If your kitchen organizational skills need an upgrade, try implementing these life-changing food storage containers that come with non-slip, airtight lids.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Its challenge will be scale — and whether subtlety can compete with spectacle and satire once preferential ballots come into play.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
12 Jan. 2026
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The visual arc deliberately eschewed subtlety.—
Paul Jebara,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Ay, the superb slyness of that last response!—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Artfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artfulness. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
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