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
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 sly
Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
Solnicki has created a sly and slippery kind of film that, much like its leading actor’s grin, is hilarious and devastating in equal measure.
—Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 28 Sep. 2025
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sly
Adjective
The actress was making a sly reference to her 1984 thriller Firestarter.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
Solnicki has created a sly and slippery kind of film that, much like its leading actor’s grin, is hilarious and devastating in equal measure.
—Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 28 Sep. 2025
Noun
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
-
Norris portrays the cunning and relentless Chief Dennison, with Tripp as Liz Bradley, a border patrol agent with a true-north moral compass, in her first major film role.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Maigret must outwit some of Paris’s most cunning and violent criminals, while dealing with his own troubled past.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This shady ramble follows a beautiful stream to a gushing spring.—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
10 Oct. 2025
-
With the story transposed to a tough sprawling prison in Marseille, one of France’s most multicultural cities, the protagonist is now a young African immigrant, serving time for drug smuggling, who is offered the protection of a powerful and shady French-Algerian businessman.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The 55-year-old leads a mighty ensemble cast currently performing at the National’s Lyttelton Theatre until November, with Life of Pi‘s Hiran Abeysekera embodying our protagonist with a mischievous sense of frenzy through Robert Hastie’s sharp, contemporary take on the classic.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Cats are notoriously mischievous—but there's a reason so many people have them anyway, and one man summed it up in a viral TikTok video.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Interestingly enough, the luminous pearl glides freely through the rail, allowing for subtlety that moves with you.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
13 Oct. 2025
-
The actress manages to pull this off with subtlety and grace in a movie that could have easily gone straight for the emotional jugular.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
There are also two new delightfully cute additions to the collection — a shiny gold pair that would look radiant on warm-tone complexions and a pair that’s as stylishly macabre as the others, only smaller in size.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
-
The songs remind kids that costumes can be cute and colorful instead of frightening.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
While consumers are used to companies tacking on sneaky fees, the newest generation of bill increases are coming from government taxation, generally local or state.—
Kevin Williams,
CNBC,
10 Oct. 2025
-
But their sneaky Game 3 strategy was to let Aaron Nola start and twirl a couple of innings, then wave for Suárez in the third inning.—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Felt wings and ears secured with toothpicks transform petite pumpkins into wicked-cute bats.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Oct. 2025
-
There's something wicked about building horror movies around toys, dolls, and other kid-friendly touchstones; they're bound to entice (and potentially scar) curious young audiences more than usual.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Though the Lions’ offensive linemen do an excellent job of selling run on play-action passes, there’s still a subtle difference to note early between run blocking and pass blocking.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
-
There’s subtle tang from the sour cream and cream cheese.—
Jasmine Smith,
Southern Living,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sly. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share