Synonyms of crafty

crafty

adjective

ˈkraf-tē 

as in cunning

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

• cunning
• cute
• subtle
• deceptive
• slick
• fraudulent
• dishonest
• wily
• artful
• treacherous
• designing
• crooked
• shrewd
• foxy
• devious
• scheming
• sly
• tricky
• cagey
• beguiling
• guileful
• deceitful
• dodgy
• cagy
• shady
• slippery
• calculating
• sneaky
• unscrupulous
• sharp
• clandestine
• astute
• covert
• plotting
• undercover
• knavish
• Machiavellian
• shifty
• underhanded
• glib
• serpentine
• hypocritical
• circular
• secret
• oblique
• facile
• roundabout
• underhand
• concealed
• circuitous
• surreptitious
• stealthy
• backhanded
• insincere
• furtive
• insinuating
• two-faced
• smooth-tongued
• double-dealing
• left-handed
• mealy
• mealymouthed
• hugger-mugger

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• innocent
• ingenuous
• artless
• guileless
• obvious
• public
• real
• plain
• open
• simple
• honest
• outspoken
• natural
• sincere
• direct
• patent
• unconcealed
• straightforward
• unaffected
• forthright
• candid
• frank
• unpretentious
• unsophisticated
• childlike
• impressionable
• unvarnished
• unworldly
• unpretending
• undesigning
• aboveboard
• simpleminded
• plainspoken
• unstudied
• trusting
• unforced
• trustful

Synonym Chooser

How is the word crafty distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of crafty are artful, cunning, foxy, slick, sly, tricky, and wily. While all these words mean "attaining or seeking to attain one's ends by guileful or devious means," crafty implies cleverness and subtlety of method.

a crafty lefthander

Where would artful be a reasonable alternative to crafty?

The words artful and crafty are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, artful implies indirectness in dealing and often connotes sophistication or cleverness.

elicited the information by artful questioning

When might cunning be a better fit than crafty?

While in some cases nearly identical to crafty, cunning suggests the inventive use of sometimes limited intelligence in overreaching or circumventing.

the cunning fox avoided the trap

In what contexts can foxy take the place of crafty?

The words foxy and crafty can be used in similar contexts, but foxy implies a shrewd and wary craftiness usually involving devious dealing.

a foxy publicity man planting stories

When is slick a more appropriate choice than crafty?

While the synonyms slick and crafty are close in meaning, slick emphasizes smoothness and guile.

slick operators selling time-sharing

When is it sensible to use sly instead of crafty?

The synonyms sly and crafty are sometimes interchangeable, but sly implies furtiveness, lack of candor, and skill in concealing one's aims and methods.

a sly corporate raider

When can tricky be used instead of crafty?

The meanings of tricky and crafty largely overlap; however, tricky is more likely to suggest shiftiness and unreliability than skill in deception and maneuvering.

a tricky political operative

When would wily be a good substitute for crafty?

Although the words wily and crafty have much in common, wily implies skill and deception in maneuvering.

the wily fugitive escaped the posse

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of crafty

Brown as the crafty Pauline is the true scene stealer, negotiating terms of terror herself. —Pete Hammond, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2025

One of them — the real Boris Berezovsky (Will Keen) — takes Baranov under his wing to help orchestrate the path to power of Putin (Jude Law), a cold, crafty and not-very-marketable former spy who was appointed by Yeltsin to run the FSB (ex-KGB) in 1998. —Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2025

Barron rebounded a few plays later to record a sack himself on a crafty blitz, a package he’s thrived in throughout camp. —Luca Evans, Denver Post, 7 Aug. 2025

Her dribbling isn’t always crafty enough to evade traffic. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025