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subtile

adjective

Definition of subtilenext
as in subtle

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for subtile
  1. subtle
  2. cunning
  3. wily
  4. artful
  5. crafty
  6. trick
  7. sly
  8. tricky
Adjective
  • Rey’s directing style keeps the spirit of Mumblecore cinema while bringing it into the immediate present, injecting subtle political commentary into naturalistic scenes.
    — Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026
  • In other New York Fashion Week shows, like TWP and Proenza Schouler, fashion’s adjacent garden shoe trend took a more subtle approach.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of subtle
Adjective
  • But the heart of this story is the toxic years-long romance between Marjorie and her co-conspirator Bill Rothstein (David Harbour), an equally cunning player who was blinded by love.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Supporters of the administration view this back and forth as a cunning ploy to buy time for the United States to position itself more advantageously for a confrontation.
    — Leonard A. Schuette, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of cunning
Adjective
  • The Braves have the edge, but the Phillies are always wily little villains.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The wily, beguiling poems in this collection probe selves and stories as sites of rupture and refraction.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of wily
Adjective
  • Rounding out the lineup is a younger generation of American talent, including Jonathan Cohen, whose artful approach to color, print, and materiality grants his collection a thoughtful (yet never overly precious) point of view.
    — Camila Quimper, Footwear News, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Marine Layer is a good stop for coastal-cool wines, while Marietta Cellars offers its sips in a particularly artful setting.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of artful
Adjective
  • Wood has been crafty on the base paths, recording 18 steals on 21 attempts.
    — Data Skrive, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Through 1964, Sylvester pursued Tweety in a variety of shorts that found the hungry cat continuously foiled by the crafty bird.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of crafty
Adjective
  • As Halloween approaches, investors seem fearful that good credit performance may be more trick than treat.
    — Telis Demos, WSJ, 21 Oct. 2022
  • If the high cost of it all is more trick than treat for you, here are several ways to turn your already smart home into a spook-tacularly genius haunted house.
    — Jennifer Jolly, USA TODAY, 28 Oct. 2021
Definition of trick
Adjective
  • Perhaps this saga of planetary conquest is also a sly commentary on Hollywood imperialism, in which even the most far-flung of small-town tales must be overwhelmed by big-name stars in visual-effects drag.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
  • In a sly nod to the sort of rom-com conventions that this story has no time for, a dreamily handsome young concierge (Hadi Bou Ayash) comes to her rescue.
    — Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of sly
Adjective
  • Kyle Ross / Imagn Images First there was Bohm doubling back — a debatable decision, certainly, with a strong center fielder and a ball hit toward one of the trickiest parts of Citizens Bank Park.
    — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • But sometimes, inaccurate coordinates or a drifting boat make the search trickier.
    — Evgenia Anastasakos, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of tricky
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.

Browse Nearby Words

subterranean
subtile
subtilty
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Cite this Entry

“Subtile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subtile. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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