variants
also cagy
1
as in cunning
clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means
a cagey old politician who is exceptionally skilled at getting federal money for his district
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in reluctant
slow to begin or proceed with a course of action because of doubts or uncertainty
when it came time to sign the contract, he suddenly got cagey about taking on the job
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of cagey
In Other News • Bradley and Chip finally track down Claire, who is cagey, but does hand over a document that clearly points to former head of news Bethanne Hines taking a multimillion-dollar payout to kill the Wolf River story.
—
Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
For a long stretch of its opening act, All the President’s Men—the canonical paranoid thriller from 1976—isn’t just about the brewing Watergate scandal, or about the battle between a cagey political machine and an enterprising newspaper.
—K. Austin Collins, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
And even in recent interviews given to promote the residency’s resumption, other band members were cagey about exactly what went down, before Neil himself let the cat out of the bag.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 14 Sep. 2025
The duo’s fingerprints were all over four great Argentina openings in a cagey game.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cagey
Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
For a long stretch of its opening act, All the President’s Men—the canonical paranoid thriller from 1976—isn’t just about the brewing Watergate scandal, or about the battle between a cagey political machine and an enterprising newspaper.
—K. Austin Collins, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
And even in recent interviews given to promote the residency’s resumption, other band members were cagey about exactly what went down, before Neil himself let the cat out of the bag.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 14 Sep. 2025
The duo’s fingerprints were all over four great Argentina openings in a cagey game.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cagey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cagey
Adjective
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Varner described the creatures as diabolically cunning, destructive, and nocturnal.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
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The show followed Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston), a former British military officer who goes undercover to help take down Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie), a cunning, amoral arms dealer helping to destabilize the Middle East.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The challenge for prosecutors Prosecutors generally face an uphill battle when charging police officers, as juries tend to be reluctant to second-guess officers acting in the heat of the moment, the legal experts said.—
Elise Hammond,
CNN Money,
24 Jan. 2026
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Current homeowners are reluctant to sell because their existing mortgage rate is much lower than current rates.—
Chris Gunster,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Dozens of the cute, little cheesecakes were sitting in a cooler near the cashier in Boardwalk Pizza.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
24 Jan. 2026
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The pieces trailing off the bodice as her skirt, lined with green fur, are not cute.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Experts say Trump’s proposal also does little to address the supply side of the housing market, which has been largely frozen as homebuyers who bought in at lower interest rates prior to the pandemic have been hesitant to sell, Goldberg said.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
21 Jan. 2026
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Bridges has been inconsistent at best offensively — hesitant at the rim, invisible at worst — and too light defensively, caught on screens and beaten by shoulder-first drives into his chest, sometimes even just a quick first step.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The slick material keeps chafing to a minimum during workouts, and the brushed inside is so soft against the skin and helps keep cold air out and your body heat in.—
Olivia Dubyak,
InStyle,
8 Jan. 2026
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Between the melting ice under the court and heavy rain Thursday night in Chicago, condensation created a slick and dangerous playing surface.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Ceiling And Wall Mounts Both cameras can be mounted on ceilings, a TV display, on walls or even within a wall for a more subtle presence while ensuring privacy with an automatic shutter that clearly indicates when the cameras are turned off.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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There are subtler blanks besides.—
Dan Sheehan,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cagey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cagey. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
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