as in cunning
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means
we appreciated the subtlety with which our host indicated that it was time to leave: he volunteered to pack us a little lunch for the road
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Recent Examples of subtlety
The gangsters who are running the country almost pride themselves on a lack of subtlety and finesse.
—
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 11 May 2026
But whether this person galumphed, ambled, or dragged herself up the trail is a matter of what subtleties her movement suggested to you.
—Literary Hub, 1 May 2026
In an edition that was all about the subtleties of watchmaking, one had to keep their eyes peeled to get all the subtleties of what the exhibitors at Watches and Wonders packed into 40-something-millimeter formats.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 1 May 2026
Our apologies, dear reader, for repeating the same point twice with our introduction, but these are times when creative repetition can be superior to any attempt at subtlety or originality.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for subtlety
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 11 May 2026
But whether this person galumphed, ambled, or dragged herself up the trail is a matter of what subtleties her movement suggested to you.
—Literary Hub, 1 May 2026
In an edition that was all about the subtleties of watchmaking, one had to keep their eyes peeled to get all the subtleties of what the exhibitors at Watches and Wonders packed into 40-something-millimeter formats.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 1 May 2026
Our apologies, dear reader, for repeating the same point twice with our introduction, but these are times when creative repetition can be superior to any attempt at subtlety or originality.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for subtlety
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subtlety
Noun
-
For everyone else, including this freelance journalist without an expense account, the approach is more like a military-level obstacle course designed to test your cunning and will.—
Jada Yuan,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
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The quality that drew Kurosawa to Yonezawa’s novel in the first place is not valor or cunning but something considerably less heroic.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
19 May 2026
Noun
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Mike Bowman, designer, furniture industry expert, and director of marketing for Harmonia Living, says this trend relies on furnishings to bring artfulness to a space—rather than just functionality.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
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There is a real seriousness to the score — the scheming bad-guy music has the artfulness of Prokofiev, and even the sneaking-around cues have musical integrity and structure.—
Tim Greiving,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The real surprise comes from the subtleness of the rose.—
Katlyn Moncada,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subtlety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subtlety. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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