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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cannily

Adverb

While the new episodes don’t offer quite the same depth of character or adrenaline rush as the original, the show remains a sharply observed, virtuosically acted, and artfully shot study of human behavior at its ugliest.

— Judy Berman, Time, 8 July 2026
The result is a bed that looks tidy and composed rather than slept-in—artfully arranged, and frankly, a little pleased with its own posture.

— Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 1 July 2026

Definition of artfully

Adverb

Trump has repeatedly made derogatory and racist comments about immigrants, including calling them criminals and falsely saying that Haitians eat cats and dogs.

— Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 10 July 2026
In May, a former federal agent was arrested and charged with multiple counts of assault and falsely reporting a crime after making false statements under oath regarding the nonfatal shooting of a Venezuelan man in Minneapolis in January.

— Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 8 July 2026

Definition of falsely

Adverb

The Cost Arc That Procurement Spreadsheets Miss The cost looks deceptively cheap on a procurement spreadsheet.

— Mudit Singh, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
The result is an urgent, propulsive song with a raw spirit and some of Pop’s most super-charged writing with deceptively simple lyrics about love and war, dripping with desperation.

— Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 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 lawsuit alleged that by not disclosing the stock purchases before the legal deadline, Musk was able to keep buying shares at artificially low prices and underpay Twitter investors by at least $150 million for those shares.

— Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 9 July 2026
The Fuchikomas, yes, finally the actual Fuchikomas, are also artificially intelligent, and much of the prior navel gazing surrounding this subject is thankfully absent, in favor of whiplash-inducing high-speed combat.

— Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 8 July 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 15 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of cannily

adverb

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