SLYLY Synonyms: 46 Similar and Opposite Words

slyly

adverb

variants also slily

Definition of slyly

as in cunningly

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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 slyly Outkick was in the process of breaking the news of his ouster on Monday when ESPN PR pulled him during a commercial break in the midst of NFL Live, while not so slyly trying to get The Athletic to break the story instead. — Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 July 2026 But the saying also slyly sets the stage for the men’s existential inquiries; in Cool Machine, Pepper and Carney ask themselves the same thing. — Niela Orr, Vulture, 20 July 2026 The lasting impact of the series would be unthinkable without the Barnabas character – the vampire was even slyly name-checked in the current hit Apple TV+ series Widow’s Bay. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 18 July 2026 The exhibition’s framing of Hamdi as the conscientious Orientalist feels slyly designed to disarm judgment of his work, and even to neutralize his professional misdeeds. — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 13 July 2026 The community had a tiny selection of English-language VHS tapes and DVDs, along with a VCR, which was passed around family to family, slyly at first. — Eythana Miller, The Dial, 23 June 2026 The following citations relate to the abuse of black Americans, whose enslavement was slyly written into the Constitution. — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026 Making a comeback on the Milan men’s calendar after a decade’s absence and under new ownership, Caruso made a big impression with its breezy and slyly nonchalant tailoring done up in an arresting array of unusual colors. — Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 22 June 2026 Harron slyly transforms it into a savage social satire, using the narrator’s unreliable point of view to borderline absurdist effect. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 9 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for slyly

Adverb

Penelope remains faithful and rules Ithaca in his absence, cunningly stalling her suitors.

— Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 20 July 2026
But cunningly, in the years since 1945—and responsibly and rightly, too—the United States put together a system where most of the other strong countries were also friends.

— David Frum, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2026

Definition of cunningly

Adverb

As the only standalone English track of the album, its lyrics speak of a situationship so suspended in uncertainty that Selines craftily matched it with the sonic sensation of floating into outer space.

— Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Some players struggled against the size of bigger and stronger players, while others craftily created space with deft footwork and manipulation.

— Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025

Definition of craftily

Adverb

It’s meant to blends furtively into a bookshelf or sits elegantly atop a bedside table, never inside it.

— Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
At the combine, as executives and scouts furrowed their brows and furtively took notes, Mann and I stood on the concourse, watching team personnel watch prospects work out.

— Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 4 June 2026

Definition of furtively

Adverb

That virtue is undermined here by leads with minimal chemistry, one of them inexpressive and the other archly theatrical, by design if not to rewarding effect.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 21 May 2026
The show, which followed a crooked New Mexican lawyer, played by Bob Odenkirk, was an archly funny drama, shot partly in gritty black-and-white.

— Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025

Definition of archly

Adverb

Often nearly invisible to the naked eye, microplastics have insidiously found their way into people’s lungs, arterial plaques and brains through food, air and water, researchers have found.

— Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 7 Apr. 2026
His dramas set domestic conflicts against the backdrop of societal systems that insidiously warp the playing field for their characters.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026

Definition of insidiously

Adverb

Even a deep black pencil can feel softer and more natural because the pigment doesn’t sit as sharply on top of the skin.

— Marci Robin, Allure, 24 July 2026
Oil prices have surged more than 30% this month as fighting in the Middle East sharply escalates.

— Spencer Kimball,Chloe Taylor,Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 23 July 2026

Definition of sharply

Adverb

The single-sided swingarm back there reveals a custom suspension setup from Wilbers, with the front forks artfully clad in aluminum panels.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 19 July 2026
Room service is spectacular—impeccably delivered and artfully plated, best enjoyed from your private terrace overlooking the lake.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 July 2026

Definition of artfully

Adverb

Reaching the island is all part of the fun too, requiring you to hop aboard a vintage, slickly varnished wooden boat at Balmaha and schedule a pick-up time for the way back.

— Rosie Conroy, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026
Out with the clunky old 20th-century contractors making fighter jets, say Democrats and Republicans alike — and in with the venture-backed, slickly marketed, innovative new companies selling the silent drones, surveillance software, and cheap missiles of 21st-century combat.

— Ben Smith, semafor.com, 3 Nov. 2025

Definition of slickly

Browse Nearby Words

slyboots

slyly

slyness

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“Slyly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slyly. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of slyly

adverb

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