1
as in intelligence
exceptional discernment and judgment especially in practical matters
negotiates business deals with all of the proverbial canniness of an old-time horse trader
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cunning
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means
the canniness with which she negotiated her contract as spokesperson for the shoe manufacturer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canniness
Noun
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But typically, the Russian leader – a former intelligence officer with the Soviet Union’s security service, the KGB – uses translators to avoid speaking in English during diplomatic conversations.—
Katharina Krebs,
CNN Money,
16 Aug. 2025 -
The Trump administration paused intelligence sharing and weapons shipments to Ukraine after the incident.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Despite being outnumbered fifty-to-one by the Five Families of the Italian Mafia, the Westies’ legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
30 July 2025
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Despite being outnumbered 50-to-1 by the Five Families of the Italian mafia, the Westies’ legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
28 May 2025
Noun
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Davies’s adeptness at verbal wit and aching melancholy are on grand display throughout The House of Mirth, one of his greatest films.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
5 Aug. 2025
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With a five-octave vocal range, preternatural charm and a razor-sharp wit, Buckley’s extraordinary live performances at downtown clubs became the stuff of legend.—
Tony Gervino,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The subtlety of French girl beauty products meets stateside oomph with the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Shimmer Multi-Purpose Dry Oil.—
Annie Blackman,
Allure,
15 Aug. 2025
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Those subtleties are still able to hook us some somehow.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The guys up at Auburn rave about his intelligence, his football acumen and his work ethic.—
Creg Stephenson | cstephenson@al.com,
al,
20 Jan. 2023
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But Lord knows, there’s a mountain of acumen and perspicacity or, in plain terms, good horse sense stored in those minds and souls.—
Gordon Monson,
The Salt Lake Tribune,
8 Jan. 2023
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Cite this Entry
“Canniness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canniness. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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