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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sly
Jordana Comiter, People.com, 26 Apr. 2025
The boisterous comedian lights up the stage with sly wit and brazen confidence, conveying Moss’ righteous fury over being bottom of the office food chain.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2025
When Harrison zooms all the way into the specifics of a scene, especially in those vignettes with Cheung’s mother and Spahn’s coder, his work sings most cleanly, where naturalism melds with sly wit.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 6 Feb. 2025
But reception took a turn for a worse when critics noticed Meta’s sly approach to ranking on LMArena, a site that ranks LLMs based on user votes.
—IEEE Spectrum, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sly
Adjective
Meanwhile, Adebayo has continued to support Wilson with sly social media posts.
—Jordana Comiter, People.com, 26 Apr. 2025
The boisterous comedian lights up the stage with sly wit and brazen confidence, conveying Moss’ righteous fury over being bottom of the office food chain.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2025
When Harrison zooms all the way into the specifics of a scene, especially in those vignettes with Cheung’s mother and Spahn’s coder, his work sings most cleanly, where naturalism melds with sly wit.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 6 Feb. 2025
But reception took a turn for a worse when critics noticed Meta’s sly approach to ranking on LMArena, a site that ranks LLMs based on user votes.
—IEEE Spectrum, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sly
Adjective
-
Particularly cunning or politically convenient women have infrequently maneuvered into the halls of power, but these female monarchs have served mostly as short detours during times when a male crown prince was either too young or too weak to stand on his own.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
8 June 2025
-
Anderson stands the original on its head: grooming Liesl as a successor, Zsa-zsa introduces her to a world where cunning and force hold sway.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
29 May 2025
Adjective
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Markowski recommends reducing shady, humid areas where the insects hide from the heat, including ornamental grasses, dense shrubs, carports and rocks near ponds.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 June 2025
-
Give your dad the gift of peace of mind with a data removal service that scrubs his personal details from people-search sites and shady data brokers.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2025
Adjective
-
View More On the cover, a young Chenier holds a 25-pound accordion the length of his torso, a big, mischievous smile on his face.—
Reya Hart,
The Atlantic,
15 June 2025
-
Next, Negan saw Annie… and Joshua (whose smile was as mischievous as we’d been told).—
Charlie Mason,
TVLine,
15 June 2025
Noun
-
Expect flavors like: Red cherries Raspberries Strawberries Sometimes a little earthiness (think mushrooms or damp forest floors in a romantic way, not a scary one) Good Pinot is all about elegance, balance, and subtlety.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
-
There is no room for subtlety in a successful vertical.—
Joshua Hunt,
Vulture,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
Related Articles Miss Manners: Another mother chided me for group-texting a cute photo.—
Eric Thomas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 June 2025
-
Plus, a slight slit in the legs adds a cute and playful touch.—
Jacquelyn Smith,
Parents,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
Though the two would've kept in touch over the years, it would be revealed in episode 2 that the sneaky little brown-noser with a hidden agenda was happily engaged to another woman and expecting his first child.—
Mekishana Pierre Published,
EW.com,
11 June 2025
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Fraud Detection: No, Elon Musk Is Not Sponsoring You Some fraud is obvious, but some fraud is sneaky.—
Raghu Para,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
Robertson has a wicked release and high work rate, scoring 29 goals across the past two seasons despite seeing limited power-play time. 13.—
Chris Johnston,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
-
Silo is a wicked and bingeable slow burn with a tantalizing central mystery.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
26 May 2025
Adjective
-
The family secrets were subtle but pervasive, reverberating not just through this nuclear family, but also across generations.—
Susan Walter
June 6,
Literary Hub,
6 June 2025
-
Your new album, Faith, is a lot subtler than your debut, Signs.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sly. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
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