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
Grace Hollars, IndyStar, 5 June 2025
One night, over dinner, his dad tossed out a few sly questions.
—Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
Demonstrating a talent for working in fluent french peppered with a british accent, the actor delivers one of his most indelible acting turns as the sly, wry, and wise business mogul-turned- butler who finds new purpose in life working on the other side of the fence.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 3 July 2025
The sly twist from humility to confidence — all delivered with a not self-aware nonchalant shrug to the crowd — drives home how much more powerful the song is, in every case, than its writer or performer.
—Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sly
Adjective
Soon, the cats will be back to their usual sly behaviors.
—Grace Hollars, IndyStar, 5 June 2025
One night, over dinner, his dad tossed out a few sly questions.
—Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
Demonstrating a talent for working in fluent french peppered with a british accent, the actor delivers one of his most indelible acting turns as the sly, wry, and wise business mogul-turned- butler who finds new purpose in life working on the other side of the fence.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 3 July 2025
The sly twist from humility to confidence — all delivered with a not self-aware nonchalant shrug to the crowd — drives home how much more powerful the song is, in every case, than its writer or performer.
—Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sly
Adjective
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Köhler specializes in cunning, tonally surprising films about cross-cultural disconnection, and Gavagai is his most ambitious and expansive film yet—a pinpoint-accurate account of moral crises and social biases, modern and ancient, internal and external.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
5 Aug. 2025
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But as the supervisors tweaked the incentives, a new form of cunning arose.—
Craig S. Smith,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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On bright sunny days in summer, look for a shady place where light intensity is reduced.—
Anthony A. Ciuffa,
Outdoor Life,
7 Aug. 2025
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Once they’ve been admitted, users have access to profiles of men annotated with information such as background checks and dating reviews; men with shady dating histories are rated with red flags.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
With the help of Michał, a fellow school outcast, Hania encounters Sindri—a mischievous pixie living in the nearby forest—who vows to aid them.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
14 Aug. 2025
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Lacy maintains a mischievous relationship with social media.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The subtlety of French girl beauty products meets stateside oomph with the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Shimmer Multi-Purpose Dry Oil.—
Annie Blackman,
Allure,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Those subtleties are still able to hook us some somehow.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The trailers for the episode dropped not only the announcement of Swift's latest album, but also a cute moment between the celeb couple.—
Joyce Orlando,
Nashville Tennessean,
12 Aug. 2025
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The brand also offers the pillow in a smaller base model and several cute kids’ pillows that double as plushies.—
Clint Davis,
People.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Micky van de Ven’s goal, the opener on 39 minutes, came from a sneaky tactic which saw his new captain, and fellow centre-back, Cristian Romero peel towards the edge of the box and head the ball back into a dangerous area from Vicario’s free kick.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
14 Aug. 2025
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As his August 10 home run illustrated, Collins has some sneaky pop in his bat.—
Bernie Pleskoff,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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There's no rest for the wicked in Ligue 1 as Lens prepares to open another campaign in the French top flight at home to Lyon on Sunday.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Aug. 2025
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Not since the days of Gossip Girl, the deliciously wicked mid-2000s teen television drama, has New York City's Upper East Side been a spot for the cool kids.—
Elizabeth Cantrell,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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There's a subtle but powerful form of manipulation happening in AI companions.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
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The spawn, which typically takes place over a few days and lasts less than 20 minutes, is triggered by subtle environmental cues — moon phase, tides and water temperatures — that healthy reefs once responded to in consistent synchronization.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
17 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sly. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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