CANNILY Synonyms: 47 Similar and Opposite Words

cannily

adverb

Definition of cannily

as in artfully

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of cannily The idea might seem clever, as if the artist has cannily illustrated how the lovey-dovey notion of romance and family is hokey, brain-dead, false. — Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 11 Sep. 2026 In her depiction of the exhausting vigilance this reality required, through a second-person voice cannily implicating her reader, Rankine created a new language to identify a problem as old as the United States. — Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026 Shein, which built its empire—seemingly overnight—on $5 tops and $10 dresses that cannily kept pace with rapidly shifting trends, did not respond to a request for comment. — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 25 Aug. 2026 Really entertaining, popular movies that are very cannily done. — Damon Wise, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026 The film cannily tugs on the heartstrings, pulls off classic slapstick comedy and sneaks obscure film references into its visuals. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026 Sections of the granite supports of the Keck statue are cannily manipulated and embellished with stars and swirling vortex-forms in Lithichrome paint into works of art themselves. — Horace D. Ballard, Artforum, 22 Apr. 2026 So begins a cycle of financial pressure, entrepreneurial hurdles, and major crimes committed out of desperation that cannily blurs the line between legitimate business strategy and the art of the con. — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Mar. 2026 His presence is so recessive that the resulting footage, however cannily composed, looks, for the most part, like it was made by an unattended surveillance camera. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cannily

Adverb

Though Simone Rocha’s pink fluff of formal attire from her spring 2027 collection was full of playful romance, Edgar-Jones’s structured Chloé design artfully contrasted with a past era’s traditional adoption of romantic verve.

— Julia Teti, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026
Clearing the air, artfully, is an opportunity to draw a group closer together.

— Margaret Wappler, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of artfully

Adverb

Villarreal Ortiz obtained permanent residence by falsely identifying his aunt, a naturalized American citizen, as his mother and later concealed that deception when applying for citizenship, prosecutors say.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026
According to the Public Defender's Office, officers falsely claimed that Gibson had assaulted them by biting, punching, and wrapping a radio cord around an officer's neck, claims later refuted by video evidence.

— Senior Editor, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of falsely

Adverb

For the final event, Tommerup plans to do something deceptively simple.

— Miguel Sirgado, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026
The paper, led by a researcher named Evan Hubinger, described an experiment in which Anthropic’s team had deliberately trained AI models to behave deceptively.

— Kevin Roose, Vanity Fair, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of deceptively

Adverb

This critical and necessary dialogue is then dishonestly framed as being anti-Israel.

— Jack Dunn, Variety, 22 Aug. 2026
In that lawsuit, State Farm said that the record only showed a disagreement over the cause of roof damage, and that there was no evidence the company had acted dishonestly.

— Michael Copley, NPR, 28 Apr. 2026

Definition of dishonestly

Adverb

Jacob goes to Isaac with this hairy disguise, deceitfully announces himself as Esau, and obtains his father’s blessing—much to the chagrin of his brother.

— Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Mar. 2026
To help fill their coffers even more, the lobbyists deceitfully expanded the definition of those notch years to include everyone born through 1926.

— Tom Margenau, Dallas Morning News, 1 Feb. 2026

Definition of deceitfully

Adverb

Mike Smith, who pleaded guilty, was accused of making millions in royalties off a scheme that involved using bots to artificially inflate plays of his songs.

— Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2026
During the financial crisis, regulators became aware that some banks were making artificially low Libor submissions to make their institutions seem more creditworthy, or submitting fake numbers to achieve a rate that better suited them.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of artificially

Browse Nearby Words

cannikins

cannily

canniness

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“Cannily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cannily. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of cannily

adverb

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