variants
also cagy
1
as in slick
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 hesitant
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
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Recent Examples of cagey
As of late, Nintendo has also been somewhat cagey about things like voice actors and the specific studios developing its games.
—
Jay Peters, The Verge, 17 Jan. 2025
This wry, lovelorn plaint is a cagey display of subtle dynamics and counterpoint on a lone electric guitar.
—Jon Pareles, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025
This was a very tough spot against a big, cagey Vegas team that’s been constructed like something of a reverse image of the Canucks.
—Thomas Drance, The Athletic, 20 Dec. 2024
During a 2022 interview with The Hollywood Reporter to promote his Kevin Hart-Mark Wahlberg comedy Me Time, Hamburg was cagey when asked if another Meet the Parents sequel could happen.
—Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for cagey
Jay Peters, The Verge, 17 Jan. 2025
This wry, lovelorn plaint is a cagey display of subtle dynamics and counterpoint on a lone electric guitar.
—Jon Pareles, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025
This was a very tough spot against a big, cagey Vegas team that’s been constructed like something of a reverse image of the Canucks.
—Thomas Drance, The Athletic, 20 Dec. 2024
During a 2022 interview with The Hollywood Reporter to promote his Kevin Hart-Mark Wahlberg comedy Me Time, Hamburg was cagey when asked if another Meet the Parents sequel could happen.
—Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for cagey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cagey
Adjective
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The pool snakes for about a quarter-mile and is cushioned by mangroves that provide ample space for the slick animal to hide.—
Jack Prator,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 Aug. 2025
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Watch out for slippery roads: The first half-hour of rain is when roads are slickest due to a mix of rain, grime, and oil.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Oc Register,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Many are hesitant, especially corporations that wait for others to launch ventures and hope to acquire the high-potential ones like Google acquired YouTube.—
Dileep Rao,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
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Experts remain hesitant to pin the blame on tariffs yet, focusing more on labor issues, housing costs and other usual culprits.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Köhler specializes in cunning, tonally surprising films about cross-cultural disconnection, and Gavagai is his most ambitious and expansive film yet—a pinpoint-accurate account of moral crises and social biases, modern and ancient, internal and external.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
5 Aug. 2025
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But as the supervisors tweaked the incentives, a new form of cunning arose.—
Craig S. Smith,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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Though initially reluctant, Ivey relented when Jenkins, 31, promised to stay on the phone with the elder boy during the walk.—
Maia Nehme,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Aug. 2025
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But the spending package gives affordable housing boosters something to celebrate, even if many in blue California are reluctant to do so publicly.—
CalMatters,
Mercury News,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The trailers for the episode dropped not only the announcement of Swift's latest album, but also a cute moment between the celeb couple.—
Joyce Orlando,
Nashville Tennessean,
12 Aug. 2025
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The brand also offers the pillow in a smaller base model and several cute kids’ pillows that double as plushies.—
Clint Davis,
People.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Another dubious distinction is that Texas boasts an economic precariousness that the rest of those states can’t match.—
Kathryn Anne Edwards,
Mercury News,
7 Aug. 2025
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Although revenues fell short of expectations for the last quarter, earnings per share were up, due to the dubious magic of share buybacks.—
Steve Denning,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Filming Viral Invasions The wily tricks viruses use to infect human cells and reproduce are also under investigation.—
Katarina Zimmer,
JSTOR Daily,
14 Aug. 2025
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The summer soundtrack of our backyard is dominated by the awful, frantic scratching of squirrel claws against fence boards as the wily rodents scramble their way into my fig tree and onto my naughty list.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
3 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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But Tocqueville’s shrewder observation is that rising legal and economic equality indirectly produces social inequality as the dominant class is forced to confront the prospect of forfeiting its dominance.—
Andrea Long Chu,
Vulture,
5 Aug. 2025
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The Houston Astros might have been the shrewdest deadline buyer.—
Tony Blengino,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cagey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cagey. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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