cannily

adverb

Definition of cannilynext
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 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cannily
  1. artfully
  2. falsely
  3. deceptively
  4. dishonestly
  5. deceitfully
  6. artificially
Adverb
  • Floral centerpieces, artfully designed by MJ Wittman of Fleuressence, are underwritten by Stephanie Wilbur.
    — News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Each Fernie's Frozen Espresso-tini Bar is artfully drizzled with ribbons of chocolate shell coating, hardening into a delicate, crackable bite, making for the ultimate pick-me-up on a stick!
    — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of artfully
Adverb
  • Filed on Thursday, Wondermind SRS 44 LLC and Bespoke Wondermind SPV LLC sued Gomez, Teefey and Pierson for falsely representing their mental health startup’s leadership and partnerships.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The yearslong case against six Nevada Republicans who were accused of submitting a bogus certificate that falsely declared Donald Trump the winner of the state’s 2020 presidential election has been dismissed, a judge ruled Thursday.
    — Jessica Hill, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of falsely
Adverb
  • Neurons in textbook diagrams look deceptively simple, with only a handful of dendrites extending from the cell body.
    — Ajdina Halilovic, Scientific American, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The filing alleged Flores deceptively edited the recordings to hide his own insensitive remarks and suggested he was motivated by a desire to win a large legal settlement in court.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of deceptively
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
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
  • The film was shot over just a few days and, although the production had planned for a sunny, nearly windless beach, preparing to generate wind artificially, the weather had other plans.
    — Matilda Hague, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Roberts is careful to note artificially intelligent algorithms like the type deployed by Exiger are not infallible.
    — Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of artificially

Browse Nearby Words

cannikins
cannily
canniness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cannily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cannily. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on cannily

Nglish: Translation of cannily for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of balmy

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All