1
as in smart
having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment
a canny card player, good at psyching out his opponents
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in comfortable
chiefly Scottish
enjoying physical comfort
warm and canny under the woolen bedcovers, we didn't mind the chilly Scottish nights
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 canny
But one of the first actions the interim government took was to rescind a ban on Jamaat, the Islamist party, which today enjoys strong youth engagement owing to a canny social media strategy.
—
Charlie Campbell, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
The canniest fictional dissection of femininity and the panopticon of social media arrives this spring in Yesteryear (Knopf), a rollicking satirical debut from Caro Claire Burke.
—Chloe Schama, Vogue, 24 Jan. 2026
The revolutionaries and the representatives of the old republic (all of them, it should be said, canny political operatives of various vintages) get along quite well on the ground.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 12 Jan. 2026
Cowley, always a canny operator, launched a propaganda campaign.
—Vince Passaro, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for canny
Charlie Campbell, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
The canniest fictional dissection of femininity and the panopticon of social media arrives this spring in Yesteryear (Knopf), a rollicking satirical debut from Caro Claire Burke.
—Chloe Schama, Vogue, 24 Jan. 2026
The revolutionaries and the representatives of the old republic (all of them, it should be said, canny political operatives of various vintages) get along quite well on the ground.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 12 Jan. 2026
Cowley, always a canny operator, launched a propaganda campaign.
—Vince Passaro, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for canny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canny
Adjective
-
The town is now actively monitoring water use, using smart meters in some cases and on-the-ground enforcement in others.—
Jamie Leary,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
-
And logging the vast majority of those runs at a slow pace is a smarter, safer way to achieve that.—
Jenny McCoy,
SELF,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Having the benefit of two first-round picks could end up jolting the pass rush toward a more comfortable look in Week 1 of the season.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Black skinny jeans should fit snug but comfortable without excessive wrinkling at the ankle.—
René Chávez Esparza,
Glamour,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Cecilia, or, Memoirs of an Heiress brims with irony, withering dialogue, psychosocial revelation and astute moral inquiry.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Mar. 2026
-
George was a highly influential, politically astute prelate who died almost a decade before Leo XIV’s election.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
That decision alone saved the family a full day of transit and set the tone for a relaxed, seamless experience.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Mar. 2026
-
The shoes have a slim silhouette that’s easy to pair with everything from relaxed denim to airy skirts.—
Kyra Surgent,
InStyle,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Senna, whose light satirical touch brought us 2024’s terrific Colored Television, is shrewd on the conundrums unique to parents of color moving around mostly white spaces.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The Seahawks crossed the finish line because of shrewd additions.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Which is, on paper, a savvy complement to Sutton, who can move the chains, body up smaller foes outside the hashes and win jump balls in the end zone.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Our team of savvy editors independently handpicks all recommendations.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Canny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canny. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
