1
as in cunning
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means
other antique dealers envied her for her craftiness in getting people to sell their treasures for a song
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in deception
the inclination or practice of misleading others through lies or trickery
according to the confidence man's credo of craftiness, "There's a sucker born every minute"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for craftiness
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 -
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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The deception here is the notion that these four men are playing against one another, cards or dice or some type of game.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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Clown references imply the fans are in on Swift's schemes, here for the deception and recognize the serious undertones beneath the singer's stage makeup.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Gi-seok had been caught up in the delicate web of power and deceit that holds Seoul’s two major gangs—the Juwoon Group and the Bongsan Group—in place.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
6 June 2025
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What begins as a convenient living arrangement spirals into a dangerous game of desire and deceit.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
21 July 2025
Noun
-
Opening pages show Toews’ characteristic wit and guile squaring off against extraordinary pain.—
Literary Hub
July 1,
Literary Hub,
1 July 2025
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Getting to the knockout phase will take guile as much as craft, something the Dutch boast in abundance.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
Noun
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There are some artists who are compelled by the challenge of technical brilliance, striving solely to be recognized as a virtuoso of their craft.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Aug. 2025
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And that’s the kind of craft that existed in that era, where people who were just writing on staff were writing better than stuff that people make now.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile, the rise of AI and sophisticated fraud techniques means organizations are managing today's threats with yesterday's tools.—
Chris McHenry,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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GiveDirectly says that's a lower fraud rate than traditional forms of aid.—
Jonathan Lambert,
NPR,
6 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Craftiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/craftiness. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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