subtile

adjective

Definition of subtilenext
as in subtle

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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
  • One subtle change, however, was his emphasis on spending Year 1 and building a foundation with the Tigers.
    — Seth Emerson, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • Researchers have since modified other proteins to interact with Cas9 but catalyze more subtle changes to DNA, such as lopping off a single base or making chemical modifications that alter how it base-pairs.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 24 July 2026
Definition of subtle
Adjective
  • Sing, muse, of the cunning Christopher Nolan, who has once again achieved the impossible.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 19 July 2026
  • In the classic tradition, this bit of strategic genius is the ultimate proof of Odysseus’s mētis, or cunning intelligence.
    — Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
Definition of cunning
Adjective
  • Damon is rugged and haunting in this absolute star turn as Odysseus, who, in a departure from the wilier original, is written as a true-hearted hero whose primary flaw was his unwavering loyalty to his men and his family.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
  • Nolan has chosen to portray Odysseus as a warrior and commander, but ignores the wily, pleasure-loving side of his character.
    — Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
Definition of wily
Adjective
  • The hotel’s Art of Discovery experience (rates starting at $375) takes guests on an artful journey through its 700-piece global art collection, displayed throughout the building.
    — Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 22 July 2026
  • This modern methodology, also frequently employed by ascendent jazz jammers SML, adds artful friction to the Prairiewolf terroir.
    — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 17 July 2026
Definition of artful
Adjective
  • Trout has been crafty on the base paths, recording eight steals on eight attempts.
    — Data Skrive, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • Attendees can also test their local knowledge with Valley Trivia, get crafty, and visit the Museum Mystic Tarot Card Reader.
    — Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 19 July 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
  • Indeed, Grozeva and Valchanov’s sly ability to shift tones from ripely comical to appalling is one of their defining features as filmmakers, along with a penchant for weird and wacky side characters.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026
  • During the celebration, Haaland played it cool, looking into the crowd with a sly smile.
    — Tim Rohan, NBC news, 6 July 2026
Definition of sly
Adjective
  • This consists of a thin insulating barrier sandwiched between two layers of superconducting aluminum — which can be tricky to manufacture.
    — Paul Smith-Goodson, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • Some of it has been tricky, frustrating — a bit of an obstacle course in the business that is music.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Subtile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subtile. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All