as in cunning
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means
we were both impressed and outraged by the expert slickness with which the swindler fooled us
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Recent Examples of slickness
And despite the Grand Hotel Belvedere's slickness, behind the scenes it is run according to the sweet sort of interdependence demanded by any small town but especially one so isolated.
—
Alice Gregory, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026
He was ruled offside, but the poor timing of his run takes nothing away from the slickness of the combination, nor the effectiveness of the tactic.
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
Still working through residual resentments from last year, her lyrics this cycle often clash with the careful slickness of the production.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
Untouched by any chain stores or contemporary slickness, the neighborhood’s highlights include the Tea House on Los Rios inside a 1911 Victorian, cottage-like Hummingbird House Cafe and Hidden House Coffee found inside a Craftsman.
—Staff Report, Oc Register, 17 Sep. 2025
There’s a slickness about the style of everyone who lives here, and Missy captures that.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 9 Sep. 2025
Alice Gregory, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026
He was ruled offside, but the poor timing of his run takes nothing away from the slickness of the combination, nor the effectiveness of the tactic.
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
Still working through residual resentments from last year, her lyrics this cycle often clash with the careful slickness of the production.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
Untouched by any chain stores or contemporary slickness, the neighborhood’s highlights include the Tea House on Los Rios inside a 1911 Victorian, cottage-like Hummingbird House Cafe and Hidden House Coffee found inside a Craftsman.
—Staff Report, Oc Register, 17 Sep. 2025
There’s a slickness about the style of everyone who lives here, and Missy captures that.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slickness
Noun
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Over thousands of years of history, our propaganda has repeatedly sought to portray ourselves as the plucky underdogs, surviving against huge physical odds by marshaling our intelligence and native cunning against the brute forces of nature.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
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Holding viewers by the throat for a handful of strong beats, even as the script slips through the entire cast’s fingers, the devilish actor sells Besson’s interpretation on charisma and cunning.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Thank God for Catherine’s faithful servant Nelly (Hong Chau), who, even with a small role in the film’s plot, is the only actor here with a meaningful grasp of emotional subtlety.—
Anna Gaca,
Pitchfork,
20 Feb. 2026
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Five different characters sing their hearts out, and each performer meets the vocal and emotional demands of their star turn with both power and subtlety.—
Rob Hubbard,
Twin Cities,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Mike Bowman, designer, furniture industry expert, and director of marketing for Harmonia Living, says this trend relies on furnishings to bring artfulness to a space—rather than just functionality.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
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There is a real seriousness to the score — the scheming bad-guy music has the artfulness of Prokofiev, and even the sneaking-around cues have musical integrity and structure.—
Tim Greiving,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Like the tricksters of myth, there’s depth to their slyness.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Ay, the superb slyness of that last response!—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The company has faced scrutiny nationwide for its scale and the ease with which outside agencies and individuals can access sensitive, private data.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
26 Feb. 2026
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Sarabjeet Chhatwal, vice president of global software, described the deal as an endorsement of the platform’s ease of deployment and adaptability.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Playing as one of the two behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the 3-4-2-1 Farke has settled on, Stach’s got the defensive steel to bulk up the engine room out of possession, but the guile and stamina to roam forward, wreaking chaos in attack.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
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Matching Casey and Frank’s guile is Philomac’s untested self-confidence.—
Ritesh Mehta,
IndieWire,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slickness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slickness. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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