caginess

noun

variants also cageyness
1
as in intelligence
exceptional discernment and judgment especially in practical matters most consumers should possess sufficient caginess to see through that scam

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cunning
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means the lawyer's celebrated caginess makes her the first choice of the hopelessly guilty

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for caginess
  1. intelligence
  2. cunning
  3. wit
  4. deviousness
  5. shrewdness
  6. subtlety
  7. insight
  8. slyness
Noun
  • Author Yuval Noah Harari has been pointing out the difference between consciousness and intelligence.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Floris was a former top intelligence analyst in charge at the bureau's Washington Field Office, while Benavides was the former deputy assistant director at the FBI's Counterintelligence Division.
    — Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of intelligence
Noun
  • At least all of that exhibited a malign cunning, a kind of instrumental rationality.
    — Andrew Koppelman, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Lethally charming and a natural chameleon, Conal uses social cunning and ruthlessness to get the job done and always gets a thrill out of completing a mission.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of cunning
Noun
  • Chris, often strung out on morphine, his memory and his wits addled by cancer, has become a jaw-flapping liability.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2026
  • It is not armed with superior wit or honesty, but with superior physical strength.
    — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of wit
Noun
  • Focus on either your high level of integrity or your deviousness.
    — Alice Burton, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The piece urges critical inquiry into such claims, emphasizing that human oversight, not AI's inherent deviousness, can be a sizable contributor.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of deviousness
Noun
  • Spain’s shrewdness came in their refusal to engage with off-the-ball trivialities.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • Instead, Franklin will rise by virtue of hard work and (actual) shrewdness.
    — John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
Definition of shrewdness
Noun
  • Debicki slips into the villain role with a nice subtlety that doesn’t hit us in the head with her evil plan to make The Fisherwoman regret ever conjuring up this dreamboat.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The Concept 7 Protection’s subtlety is a result of it being designed to provide security while moving quietly through the regular world, as opposed to an active war zone.
    — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of subtlety
Noun
  • As readers of this newsletter know, Helen has been a frequent contributor to Morning Rounds over the last 11 years, tirelessly sharing her insights on infectious disease news.
    — Annalisa Merelli, STAT, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Lacob already envisions their menstrual fluid data being able to reveal vital information about the ovarian environment, giving insights into not just the quantity, but the quality of eggs, a frequent blind spot in fertility care.
    — Fiorella Valdesolo, Allure, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of insight
Noun
  • The harp is not an instrument of slyness, wryness, or the earth.
    — Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Like the tricksters of myth, there’s depth to their slyness.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 5 Feb. 2026
Definition of slyness
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

cagey
caginess
caging
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Cite this Entry

“Caginess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caginess. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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