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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of slickness
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
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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Because Maradona, in a burst of cunning and trickery, also used his hand.—
Esteban Campanela,
CNN Money,
25 Nov. 2025
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Landing a good apartment in New York City can take some cunning.—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The brain is also far more adept at handling things like ambiguity, subtlety, and nuance.—
Matthew S Williams,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
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Its recent popularity stems from its subtlety, Mercedes adds.—
Jacqueline Kilikita,
Refinery29,
3 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
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Ay, the superb slyness of that last response!—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Default settings matter, and when convenience is the default, most individuals will unknowingly trade control for ease of use.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
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Perhaps due to their ease of access and ubiquity, new Hondas are the main target these days.—
Adam Ismail,
The Drive,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The Hornets showed some guile, climbing out of a cavernous 22-point deficit that was a direct result of too many turnovers, a lack of defensive intensity and yielding a flurry of 30 first-half points in the paint.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Feb. 2026
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Brentford are one of the league’s most effective counter-attacking sides, but can lack guile against deep-lying opponents.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slickness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slickness. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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