1
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
it's a bit tricksy to have a candid conversation with the company president without appearing to be either presumptuous or obsequious
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mischievous
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness
a tricksy provocateur who will make the most outrageous statements just to get a reaction
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Recent Examples of tricksy
The structure is a bit tricksier, flipping between the present — which finds our two inevitable lovers estranged and in their early thirties — and a staggered series of flashbacks catching up to it.
—
Guy Lodge, Variety, 8 Jan. 2026
Such films sometimes feel like tricksy technical experiments.
—The Economist, 18 June 2020
Guy Lodge, Variety, 8 Jan. 2026
Such films sometimes feel like tricksy technical experiments.
—The Economist, 18 June 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tricksy
Adjective
-
Anyone who has seen the way the space works today can recognize that there are a lot of families who find this very, very difficult right now.—
Anna Moeslein,
Glamour,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Demonstrating that was difficult due to natural fluctuations in temperatures.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Your 5th House of Discovery brightens as mischievous Mercury conjoins the life-giving Sun.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 2026
-
But of course, the mischievous Cat in the Hat can only save the day in typical Seussian fashion.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Finales can be tough, given how viewers chime in on social media.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
With the Royals negotiations collapsing with Kansas, the state may be able to get away with a tougher negotiating position.—
Jack Harvel,
Kansas City Star,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Coming off a trip to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight, the Blue Devils started 3-6 against a wicked nonconference schedule as the headliner in the conference’s bumpy overall start.—
Aaron Beard,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Hamas is a wicked organization.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Fears around migration in Turkey Migration is a sensitive topic in Turkey, which at one point was hosting nearly 4 million Syrian refugees.—
Serra Yedikardes,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Australia’s policy-sensitive three-year yield climbed to its highest level since 2011, while German bund futures slid to an almost 15-year low.—
Marcus Wong,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The fun of this salad is the playful textures of super-crispy rice made from day-old leftovers.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 Mar. 2026
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No doubt that playful warmth played a part in him being cast as Luffy, a hilariously nonchalant, yet utterly sincere would-be pirate.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Daylight saving time is meant to provide extra sunlight during the spring, summer and fall seasons, but in Indiana, there's a very complicated past with DST.—
Chris Sims,
IndyStar,
8 Mar. 2026
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But neither records nor details about their release have surfaced, underscoring how complicated such disclosures can be.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Market concentration is not inherently problematic.—
Svetla Ben-Itzhak,
Space.com,
8 Mar. 2026
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Their bond is forged when the children’s TV show host helps the jaded journalist navigate a difficult relationship with his problematic father.—
Suzanne Van Atten,
AJC.com,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tricksy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tricksy. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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