as in artfully
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
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
The special’s opening half-hour is a series of meaningful opening salvos like this, cannily shoehorned into catch-up anecdotes, each of them laying the groundwork for where Nanjiani ultimately wants the hour to land without tipping his hand in one direction or another.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
Although that self-realization is timeless, Roder cannily positions it to speak to contemporary times.
—Stephen Saito, Variety, 23 Nov. 2025
Rental Family cannily exploits its unusual premise to both comical and moving effect.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
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
The special’s opening half-hour is a series of meaningful opening salvos like this, cannily shoehorned into catch-up anecdotes, each of them laying the groundwork for where Nanjiani ultimately wants the hour to land without tipping his hand in one direction or another.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
Although that self-realization is timeless, Roder cannily positions it to speak to contemporary times.
—Stephen Saito, Variety, 23 Nov. 2025
Rental Family cannily exploits its unusual premise to both comical and moving effect.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cannily
Adverb
-
The new owner, Jasen Mark, snapped it up four years ago, then spent $8 million to turn a rundown resort into a new five-star property that artfully straddles modern amenities and a nostalgic embrace of simpler times.—
Todd Plummer,
Robb Report,
19 June 2026
-
Co-directed by the singer, the clip was artfully shot and empathetically told, and got fans sufficiently invested that Kiyoko eventually published a YA novel expanding the adventures of its young lovers, Coley and Sonya.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
17 June 2026
Adverb
-
Some efforts to mislead the public falsely attribute climate change to natural forces; deny links between greenhouse gas emissions, rising temperatures and extreme weather; and cast doubt on solutions such as renewable energy and electric vehicles.—
Joe Árvai,
The Conversation,
22 June 2026
-
Prosecutors are looking to slap Zimmerman with a felony charge for criminal damage to property and a misdemeanor charge of falsely obtaining services, TMZ reported.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
22 June 2026
Adverb
-
The intersecting links are deceptively simple.—
Jill Newman,
Robb Report,
18 June 2026
-
None of they key players went in colder than Tudisco, whose deceptively warm performance as sometimes-mobster Mike Santini holds a large chunk of the show together.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
16 June 2026
Adverb
-
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
-
Additional uses of geolocation data, the providers say, include proving a bettor is dishonestly disputing credit card charges, revealing sign-up bonus abuse or showing that someone is illegally making proxy wagers across state lines.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
16 Oct. 2025
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
Adverb
-
Compress the window artificially, generate the simultaneity, and let the organic behavior follow.—
Dana Harris-Bridson,
IndieWire,
19 June 2026
-
Traditional dubbing pipelines have struggled to keep pace with microdrama’s release cadence, and existing AI dubbing tools have drawn criticism for flat or artificially rendered performances.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cannily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cannily. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
