PAWKY Synonyms: 109 Similar and Opposite Words

pawky

adjective

Definition of pawky

chiefly British

as in cunning

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pawky

Adjective

Supporters of the administration view this back and forth as a cunning ploy to buy time for the United States to position itself more advantageously for a confrontation.

— Leonard A. Schuette, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026
Owen is bamboozled by a cunning opportunist, handcuffed, and robbed in his underwear.

— Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of cunning

Adjective

Perhaps this saga of planetary conquest is also a sly commentary on Hollywood imperialism, in which even the most far-flung of small-town tales must be overwhelmed by big-name stars in visual-effects drag.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
In a sly nod to the sort of rom-com conventions that this story has no time for, a dreamily handsome young concierge (Hadi Bou Ayash) comes to her rescue.

— Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of sly

Adjective

Here, she’s matured as a well-rounded comedienne who can pull the stops for subtle approaches to laughs, and though the mugging is still evident, it’s only used for propitious moments.

— Hank Grant, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026
Comey’s nods to Drexler are mostly subtle, drawing from the artist’s color palette of vibrant hues from bright green and orange to cobalt blue and lilac, with an eye toward their high-contrast juxtapositions, a hallmark of Drexler’s paintings.

— Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of subtle

Adjective

Greengrass surrounds Garfield with actors who deliver bigger performances, like Jarvis as the brutish but shrewd Tyler, and Bell as the fervent Ball.

— Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
The offseason trade with the Kansas City Royals to acquire Jonathan Bowlan was a shrewd piece of business.

— Matt Gelb, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of shrewd

Adjective

Bruno Guimaraes and Lucas Paqueta played guileful defence-splitting passes.

— James Horncastle, New York Times, 20 June 2026
One is to emphasize Iago—the guileful, insinuating convincingness of this malicious supervillain, who works on Othello to the point where any reasonable man would be deceived and fooled and worked into a rage that can lead to such a catastrophe.

— David Frum, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026

Definition of guileful

Adjective

This tension is often subtext enough, and it’s accentuated by cinematographer Adric Watson’s tight and dirty frames, which confine Maya and Arti through astute visual composition, as the reality of their cushy lives is gradually illuminated.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
Schlager is an astute arrival as a free agent, following the end of his RB Leipzig contract, in a move that reunites him with a manager who knows him well.

— Paul Taylor, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of astute

Adjective

Rounding out the lineup is a younger generation of American talent, including Jonathan Cohen, whose artful approach to color, print, and materiality grants his collection a thoughtful (yet never overly precious) point of view.

— Camila Quimper, Footwear News, 11 Sep. 2026
Marine Layer is a good stop for coastal-cool wines, while Marietta Cellars offers its sips in a particularly artful setting.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of artful

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Browse Nearby Words

pawing

pawky

pawn

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“Pawky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pawky. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of pawky

adjective

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