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
as in cute
clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means
a crafty real estate broker who got people to sell their property at bargain prices
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of craftiness
Zak Doffman, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
The crafty right-hander played for Boston in 2021 and was excellent for much of the campaign -- 3.46 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 52 innings through August -- before fading down the stretch as a heavy workload caught up to him.
—Dakota Randall, Newsweek, 18 Feb. 2025
Leroy Garrett What to know: Devin Walker is one of the craftiest (and most entertaining) players in the last decade of Challenges, having ruffled the feathers of even the most intimidating players (see: Johnny Bananas).
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 31 Jan. 2025
Their other top highlight was Benoit getting in a fight, which may have been a crafty gambit to halt play while he was stuck on the ice during a long shift.
—Nick Ashbourne, The Athletic, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for craftiness
Adjective
And so their crafty new attacks send out links that direct to legitimate websites from a PC but to dangerous websites from a phone.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
The crafty right-hander played for Boston in 2021 and was excellent for much of the campaign -- 3.46 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 52 innings through August -- before fading down the stretch as a heavy workload caught up to him.
—Dakota Randall, Newsweek, 18 Feb. 2025
Leroy Garrett What to know: Devin Walker is one of the craftiest (and most entertaining) players in the last decade of Challenges, having ruffled the feathers of even the most intimidating players (see: Johnny Bananas).
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 31 Jan. 2025
Their other top highlight was Benoit getting in a fight, which may have been a crafty gambit to halt play while he was stuck on the ice during a long shift.
—Nick Ashbourne, The Athletic, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for craftiness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for craftiness
Noun
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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,
18 Mar. 2025
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Noted for his tenacity and cunning, Khamenei is also a man of conviction, and his hatred for the United States is deeply felt.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The Erosion Of Trust Through Inconsistent Words Many people associate the breakdown of trust with major betrayals like infidelity or deception.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
-
Warrantless search and seizure, deception, untrammeled use of force.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Save on breezy skirts, cute jeans, and stretchy yoga pants that are ideal for travel.—
Isabel Garcia,
People.com,
26 Apr. 2025
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While there’s no doubt the videos feature cute little ones and are intended just for laughs, mental health professionals say what some parents view as harmless fun may actually be affecting children in unplanned ways.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Defense attorney Alan Jackson told the jury the collision never happened, and the investigation into Read was riddled with errors, bias, incompetence and deceit from the start.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
-
In economic markets, maintaining a consumer’s freedom of choice requires regulations against coercion and deceit.—
Michael Gregory,
The Conversation,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But here, Gyllenhaal mesmerizes in a career-best performance that taps into the infinite well of his talent, portraying Iago’s scorching resentment, guile and humor.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA TODAY,
24 Mar. 2025
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All of which is to say, Cooper is very good at playing someone adept at persuasion, either through intimidation or guile.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
9 Mar. 2025
Noun
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This strategy mirrors successful specialist brands in other sectors: focus, craft, and consistency over endless expansion.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
27 Apr. 2025
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One-third of all Joann stores will be closed by next week, with the rest of the beleaguered fabric and craft retailer's locations expected to close next month.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The man who brought up the accusation of welfare fraud, who admitted to working for Alite's former boss John Gotti Jr., left the room, leaving a packet of handouts on a seat on his way out.—
Olivia Liu,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
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Trump wants Chris Krebs, former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, to be investigated for declaring, after careful study of the 2020 election, that there was no election fraud.—
Tom Zirpoli,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Craftiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/craftiness. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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