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noun

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word cunning distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of cunning are artful, crafty, foxy, slick, sly, tricky, and wily. While all these words mean "attaining or seeking to attain one's ends by guileful or devious means," cunning suggests the inventive use of sometimes limited intelligence in overreaching or circumventing.

the cunning fox avoided the trap

In what contexts can artful take the place of cunning?

While in some cases nearly identical to cunning, artful implies indirectness in dealing and often connotes sophistication or cleverness.

elicited the information by artful questioning

Where would crafty be a reasonable alternative to cunning?

The synonyms crafty and cunning are sometimes interchangeable, but crafty implies cleverness and subtlety of method.

a crafty lefthander

When is it sensible to use foxy instead of cunning?

The words foxy and cunning 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 could slick be used to replace cunning?

In some situations, the words slick and cunning are roughly equivalent. However, slick emphasizes smoothness and guile.

slick operators selling time-sharing

When would sly be a good substitute for cunning?

Although the words sly and cunning have much in common, sly implies furtiveness, lack of candor, and skill in concealing one's aims and methods.

a sly corporate raider

When might tricky be a better fit than cunning?

While the synonyms tricky and cunning are close in meaning, tricky is more likely to suggest shiftiness and unreliability than skill in deception and maneuvering.

a tricky political operative

When can wily be used instead of cunning?

The meanings of wily and cunning largely overlap; however, wily implies skill and deception in maneuvering.

the wily fugitive escaped the posse

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 cunning
Adjective
On this occasion, Fernandez’s cross flies over Cucurella and straight into the thick of the action, where Joao Pedro’s cunning movement creates space to get his header away. Thom Harris, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025 Joan Silber is a contemporary genius at creating artful stories of a multitude of characters who ricochet in cunning ways, crossing generations and continents. Jane Ciabattari september 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
Others praised the pup's cunning. Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025 Denzel plays the earnest private with a secret with a smart, eager-to-please manner that disguises the cunning and danger underneath. Tim Grierson, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cunning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cunning
Adjective
  • The brand’s Deep Trance Corduroy Pants are also a cute option to wear with some boots and a pea or trench coat this season.
    Shawna Hudson, StyleCaster, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Best Toy for Imaginative Play Plant the seeds of creative play with this trio of plush toy veggies that are too cute to eat.
    Pamela Brill, Parents, 2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Can Skjei, who’s skilled but had a nightmare first season in Nashville, bounce back?
    Harman Dayal, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • But in addition to his reputation as a womanizer, Casanova was also a con man, a skilled liar who came from a family of actors and who over the course of his life manipulated and tricked countless people to maintain wealth and status.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Ay, the superb slyness of that last response!
    Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Dayforce will today release its annual pulse survey of roughly 7,000 workers in six countries, showing that 71% of workers have not received AI training in the past year—even though 63% of workers say developing such skills is important.
    Diane Brady, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2025
  • To be funny while playing a character who’s sweet and endearing (even when calling his friends idiots) is a skill, and Bad Bunny has it.
    Rima Parikh, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The unscripted show will feature a group of contestants who undergo physical and mental challenges, collecting clues before they are launched into a real-life game of detective work and deception.
    Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 7 Oct. 2025
  • The series will feature a group of contestants facing physical and mental challenges to collect clues before stepping into a real-life game of deduction and deception.
    Peter White, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • In a subtler interpretation of the trend, the Jazz bookshelf is handcrafted in oak that takes on a golden hue when hit with the right light.
    Rachel Gallaher, Robb Report, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Cohen and other researchers have identified many subtle fixes that improve kids’ eating habits.
    Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Ragnar is one of the very best Nordic crime writers, as skillful in thrillers like this series as in murder mystery stories.
    Anders de la Motte, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Setting boundaries requires a balance of self-awareness and skillful communication.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Creativity was sorely lacking last season, with the side mustering the lowest xG of any side to avoid relegation, but now an attacking midfield trident of Grealish, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Iliman Ndiaye brims with promise and guile.
    Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
  • In between is a huge chessboard for honing skills of strategy and guile while catching a tan.
    Mark David, Robb Report, 4 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Cunning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cunning. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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