1
as in cunning
clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means
the artful lawyer got the witness to admit he had been lying
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inventive
showing a noteworthy use of the imagination and creativity especially in inventing
that kitchen gadget is an artful tool for extracting cherry pits
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in virtuoso
accomplished with trained ability
that was an artful way to handle a very delicate situation
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in subtlety
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
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
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of artful
Beth Landman, HollywoodReporter, 21 June 2025
The same can be said for 3.1 Phillip Lim’s T-shirt, updated with artful draping.
—Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 20 June 2025
The beer hasn’t changed, but the artful limited-edition packaging shines a spotlight on these iconic parks.
—Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan, Outside Online, 6 June 2025
But the tender, artful balladry and sorcerous studio experimentation that cemented his legacy are totally sui generis for the genre, comprising an act of emotional and creative bravery so rare and beautiful in American culture that it has never been successfully imitated.
—Derek Robertson, The Washington Examiner, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for artful
Adjective
The organizers’ artful choreography of attendees won’t be limited to one evening, as the weekend will stretch beyond the ceremony, to a cavalcade of soirees, some of them aboard Bezos’ $500 million yacht, Koru.
—Beth Landman, HollywoodReporter, 21 June 2025
The same can be said for 3.1 Phillip Lim’s T-shirt, updated with artful draping.
—Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 20 June 2025
The beer hasn’t changed, but the artful limited-edition packaging shines a spotlight on these iconic parks.
—Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan, Outside Online, 6 June 2025
But the tender, artful balladry and sorcerous studio experimentation that cemented his legacy are totally sui generis for the genre, comprising an act of emotional and creative bravery so rare and beautiful in American culture that it has never been successfully imitated.
—Derek Robertson, The Washington Examiner, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for artful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for artful
Adjective
-
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
-
Readers raved about the inventive New Mexican cuisine and the destination’s natural beauty—sitting at 7,000 feet, Santa Fe is at the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range and enjoys over 300 days of sunshine per year.—
Elizabeth Cantrell,
Travel + Leisure,
8 July 2025
-
Whatever happens thereafter in David and Leslie Newman’s inventive and energetic script is inevitably some thing of a letdown although — not much.—
Arthur Knight,
HollywoodReporter,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
Trump, by contrast, doesn’t seem to have any interest in precedence or subtlety.—
Andy Meek,
Forbes.com,
3 July 2025
-
But devastation is only the culmination, and not the entirety, of Ruth’s journey, and Chalfant’s performance, for all its exquisite subtlety, is also furiously alive.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
These workshops taught cognitive skills aimed at maximizing the strengths and minimizing the weaknesses typically associated with their specific most strongly outlying trait.—
Maia Szalavitz,
Scientific American,
7 July 2025
-
The manufacturing industry faces specific challenges with approximately 3.8 million new workers needed between 2024 and 2033, with half of these positions remaining unfilled due to skills gaps.—
Tom Strohl,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Adjective
-
Oh, and the best pairs of the bunch are also plain old comfy (and cute, in a gorpcore kind of way).—
Sara Coughlin,
SELF,
7 July 2025
-
July 6, 2025: Rodman watching Shelton’s match at Wimbledon is so cute the ESPN announcer literally giggles trying to talk about them.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
7 July 2025
Adjective
-
Light, clever, and just leftfield enough to feel like a proper find.—
Lela London,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
-
Dubno’s novel sounds equally thoughtful and nasty, clever and juicy and full of great drama.—
Literary Hub
July 1,
Literary Hub,
1 July 2025
Adjective
-
But despite those skillful trappings, the story soon feels ponderous.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
11 July 2025
-
And there was also skillful attention to the right marketing and distribution details.—
Andrew Tobias,
Vulture,
7 July 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Artful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artful. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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