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
  • The herbal shiso adds a subtle savory depth, delivering a clean, refreshing balance to the textures and flavor.
    — Angela Hansberger, AJC.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Ask someone to review a two-hour video and identify subtle violations, and they are almost guaranteed to miss something.
    — Tal Lev-Ami, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of subtle
Adjective
  • Prince John is the cunning younger son of King Henry II whose ambition and shifting loyalties intensify the kingdom’s growing power struggle.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 29 July 2026
  • Booboo Stewart’s Jay was brought up to be a cunning thief, just like his father Jafar.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 25 July 2026
Definition of cunning
Adjective
  • A couple of hours later, Learner Tien lost to wily French veteran Adrian Mannarino.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Almost two decades ago in Germany, a particularly wily octopus named Otto short-circuited his aquarium’s electrical system by shooting jets of water at an overhead light that perhaps caused an objectionable glare.
    — Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 29 July 2026
Definition of wily
Adjective
  • The spacious restaurant with high, coffered ceilings features a central bar where mixologists churn out artful cocktails.
    — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Berry also shared an artful reflection photographed through a glass window.
    — Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of artful
Adjective
  • Washington’s young starters were tutored by Griffin, a crafty All-Star.
    — Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Let your child pick out their new backpack, pencil case, lunch box, and water bottle, then get crafty and customize them together.
    — Fiona Tapp, Parents, 1 Aug. 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
  • The camera is in position to see Cena’s sly smile and taps on Gunther’s forearm just so.
    — Darren Cooper, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of sly
Adjective
  • As kids get older, parents can be a sounding board and offer advice on how to navigate the tricky situations that inevitably come up instead of ghosting people.
    — Kara Alaimo, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
  • However, rivalry games, travel abroad and other factors — such as replacing the program’s longtime starting QB — may make things a little trickier as the Jayhawks attempt to bounce back from a second straight 5-7 season.
    — Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 4 Aug. 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 9 Aug. 2026.

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