1
as in cunning
clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means
the movie pairs a sly, dissembling ex-con with an upstanding, straight-arrow cop
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shady
given to acting in secret and to concealing one's intentions
why, you sly fellow! I had no idea you were planning my birthday party a sly undercover police officer
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in mischievous
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness
a sly sense of humor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in subtlety
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means
the slyness with which the FBI agent infiltrated the subversive organization without their knowledge was indeed impressive
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sly
Su-Jit Lin, Southern Living, 15 Jan. 2026
Robustly packed with over 30 tracks, including 16 exclusive to the standard edition, the project captures their signature blend of raw honesty, sly wit, and dry humor.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Big Think, 5 Feb. 2026
Ay, the superb slyness of that last response!
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sly
Adjective
He's egged on by owner Jonathan Yu—the outward opposite to the roguish tattooed chef and the game-for-anything, sly devil on his shoulder who hides a mischievous heart behind elegant suits.
—Su-Jit Lin, Southern Living, 15 Jan. 2026
Robustly packed with over 30 tracks, including 16 exclusive to the standard edition, the project captures their signature blend of raw honesty, sly wit, and dry humor.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Noun
Like the tricksters of myth, there’s depth to their slyness.
—Big Think, 5 Feb. 2026
Ay, the superb slyness of that last response!
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sly
Adjective
-
Goldsworthy has made cunning edits of the landscape throughout Penpont.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Perhaps most perceptively captivating is the sweetly cunning way Marczak inserts himself into the film.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In a world where most sports have a shady underbelly and the fixes often are in one way or another, no one is ever going to tell you that boxing of all competitions is an avarice or sticky-fingers-free zone.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
3 Feb. 2026
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When Leo breaks his leg and Pia is allowed into the wider world to take over his shady delivery business, Pia begins to ask questions about her family’s past and the secrets her father may be hiding.—
Caroline Carlson,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
His mischievous-urchin phase was short-lived.—
David Kamp,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Those mischievous Minions will have their Olympic moment after all.—
Dave Skretta,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The brain is also far more adept at handling things like ambiguity, subtlety, and nuance.—
Matthew S Williams,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Its recent popularity stems from its subtlety, Mercedes adds.—
Jacqueline Kilikita,
Refinery29,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The Puppy Bowl isn’t just cute — it’s built around adoption, heart and moments that matter beyond Super Bowl Sunday.—
Kelsey Monstrola,
USA Today,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Don’t be shy when playing around with colors, patterns, and cute Galentine’s motifs.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Kids will meet Peter, the duck, the cat, the bird and the sneaky wolf, while also learning how music can tell a story without words.—
Caroline Ritzie,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Some of these bars once held historical figures; others were sneaky speakeasys of the prohibition era.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Jonathan Lekkerimäki’s next step Lekkerimäki electrified the Rogers Arena crowd on Saturday night with a wicked catch-and-release goal from the high slot to open the scoring against Toronto.—
Harman Dayal,
New York Times,
2 Feb. 2026
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As Traitors host and executive producer, Cumming is diabolical, but there’s no sleep for the wicked.—
Jonathan Borge,
InStyle,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
These subtle changes allowed scientists to calculate the planet’s dimensions with unprecedented accuracy, refining measurements that had remained largely unchanged since the 1970s.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The 100 percent cotton jean features a true mid-rise, straight-leg silhouette with a subtle wedgie fit.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sly. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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