as in cunning
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means
the slyness with which the FBI agent infiltrated the subversive organization without their knowledge was indeed impressive
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Recent Examples of slyness
Ay, the superb slyness of that last response!
—
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slyness
Noun
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Despite being outnumbered 50-to-1 by the Five Families of the Italian mafia, The Westies’ legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
9 Sep. 2025
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Luke Shaw’s technique and cunning at centre-back deserved to be better rewarded.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The Uzbek defender does not deal in subtleties.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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Her ability to tease out the subtleties of millennial-speak led to over 25 million views and half a million followers.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Slyness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slyness. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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