Synonyms of sleight

sleight

noun

ˈslīt 

1

as in ruse

a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end

must have employed some sophisticated sleight to con that wary couple out of their money

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ruse
• trick
• scheme
• device
• sleight of hand
• stratagem
• gambit
• ploy
• jig
• dodge
• knack
• flimflam
• gimmick
• bluff
• fetch
• wile
• deception
• artifice
• trickery
• feint
• juggle
• subterfuge
• cunning
• chicanery
• legerdemain
• play
• duplicity
• shenanigan
• jugglery
• hoax
• skulduggery
• swindling
• fakery
• swindle
• cheating
• end run
• gaff
• fraud
• sham
• crookery
• cozenage
• front
• craft
• smoke screen
• blind
• dupery

2

as in ability

mental skill or quickness

a brilliant new theory that pays tribute to his remarkable sleight of mind

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ability
• prowess
• talent
• finesse
• dexterity
• proficiency
• aptitude
• cleverness
• competence
• adroitness
• expertise
• competency
• efficiency
• knack
• resourcefulness
• capability
• capacity
• faculty
• ingenuity
• shrewdness
• artfulness
• cunning
• guile
• savvy
• deviousness
• ingeniousness
• know-how
• craftiness
• slyness
• slickness
• artifice
• sneakiness
• craft
• canniness
• sharpness
• cunningness
• wiliness
• subtleness
• caginess
• foxiness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• incompetence
• incompetency
• ineptitude
• inadequacy
• ineptness
• density
• obtuseness
• stupidity
• foolishness
• slowness
• dullness
• dumbness
• mindlessness
• fatuity
• denseness
• simpleness
• senselessness
• witlessness
• dopiness
• brainlessness
• stupidness
• doltishness

3

as in agility

ease and grace in physical activity

a muscle-bound weight lifter known more for his might than his sleight

Synonyms & Similar Words

• agility
• dexterity
• prowess
• deftness
• nimbleness
• flexibility
• coordination
• spryness
• gracefulness
• suppleness
• finesse
• litheness
• limberness
• handiness
• loose-jointedness
• adeptness
• adroitness
• sure-handedness
• sure-footedness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• clumsiness
• awkwardness
• ungainliness
• gracelessness
• disability
• gaucheness
• incapacity
• inability
• heavy-handedness
• gawkiness
• klutziness
• incapability
• impairment
• ham-handedness
• incapacitation
• gawkishness
• disablement
• debilitation
• unhandiness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of sleight

Unlike his career in sleight-of-hand magic, Groban will defy those wildest dreams on May 6, when he will be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. — Hunter Ingram, Variety, 6 May 2026

Such sleight-of-hand is commonplace for Anderson Studio, which specializes in designing houses that nod to historic styles but are more responsive to their settings and inhabitants than an actual period house might be. — Fred Albert, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026

Common issues found on live selling platforms can range from simple mistakes by inexperienced sellers, including customers being sent the wrong items, to more intentional violations, including the use of sleight-of-hand to swap high-value cards in a pack for less desirable ones. — Benjamin Burrows, New York Times, 10 June 2026

The short-seller set out its allegations on March 17, blasting out a report to journalists and social media that claimed SoFi had not actually sold a $312 million loan package but kept it on the company’s books with a sleight-of-hand financing arrangement. — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026

Phrases Containing sleight

• sleight of hand