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
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Recent Examples of cagey
Further, the non-call and subsequent call in the final 5 minutes of the free 30 minutes were monumental in a mostly cagey match.
—
Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2026
Unseld was cagey about the playing-time restrictions for all three players, declining to share details about any of their medical limits during his pregame news conference.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
While department officials initially were cagey about whether pepper spray would be allowed at the new Kilpatrick, the department ultimately determined officers would not carry it.
—Jason Henry, Daily News, 15 Feb. 2026
Joining another lab at her institution might be an option, but that would mean abandoning her main research interests, and other groups have also been cagey about funding.
—Jonathan Wosen, STAT, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cagey
Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2026
Unseld was cagey about the playing-time restrictions for all three players, declining to share details about any of their medical limits during his pregame news conference.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
While department officials initially were cagey about whether pepper spray would be allowed at the new Kilpatrick, the department ultimately determined officers would not carry it.
—Jason Henry, Daily News, 15 Feb. 2026
Joining another lab at her institution might be an option, but that would mean abandoning her main research interests, and other groups have also been cagey about funding.
—Jonathan Wosen, STAT, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cagey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cagey
Adjective
-
Goodman aims to be a cunning thief.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
-
What could be more cunning and disgusting than training dogs to commit anal rape?—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2026
Adjective
-
Besides hitting consumers’ pocketbooks, those higher costs can make businesses reluctant to hire.—
Matt Ott,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
This favoritism is driven by legacy preferences, athletic recruitment and nonacademic ratings that reward expensive resume-building, yet elite universities remain reluctant to change these practices.—
Prasad Krishnamurthy,
Mercury News,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Keep scrolling to start the season strong with ’90s-but-better jelly mules, cute lightweight dresses, and a sling bag that’s about to become your water bottle’s new best friend.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
6 June 2026
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Bonus points for picking separates in the same color palette (red and white is a particularly cute, preppy combo, as shown above).—
Kelsey Stewart,
Glamour,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
His early, anonymous SoundCloud drops were hushed and hesitant, a shroud of tape hiss and white noise between himself and true self-examination.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
10 June 2026
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Under normal circumstances, Blackburn is hesitant to give himself away.—
Sloane Crosley,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Adjective
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In its first international friendly since March, the US showed off slick offense in a 3-2 win over Senegal in Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 31.—
Jim Sciutto,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
-
Short-and-sweet patent pieces from Christian Siriano and Ferrari had a distinctly slick shine, while at Kate Barton, satin organza gave her flirty designs a glassy glint.—
InStyle,
InStyle,
7 June 2026
Adjective
-
The perpetual buzz of mining bees mingled with the shuffle of rabbits through the bushes, woodpeckers’ rapid-fire drilling, and the hard-staccato tchack, tchack, tchack of ravenlike birds known as jackdaws, creating a subtle symphony.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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Look for alcohol-free, subtle formulas the goal is a whisper of fragrance, not a perfume cloud that announces itself from across the room.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cagey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cagey. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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