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
Such films sometimes feel like tricksy technical experiments.
—
The Economist, 18 June 2020
The Economist, 18 June 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tricksy
Adjective
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Two of Elissa’s tumors were obliterated that day, but the third was too difficult to reach without repositioning Elissa’s body in a way that would have taken too much time under anesthesia.—
Kristen Jordan Shamus,
USA Today,
19 May 2025
-
Coral babies arrive in the Keys If spawning, raising and loading hundreds of young corals weren’t difficult enough, aquarium staff then had to drive them 300 miles south.—
Max Chesnes,
Sun Sentinel,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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Dunk’s mischievous sense of humour was highlighted by poking fun at critics of Hurzeler while attending a Premier League darts event in Brighton in March.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
-
His voice babbles away throughout the record and his mischievous personality shines.—
Thomas Smith,
Billboard,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Federal judges have so far been skeptical of the Trump administration’s past efforts to use extraordinary powers to make deportations easier, and that could make suspending habeas corpus even tougher.—
Will Weissert,
Chicago Tribune,
10 May 2025
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Last year’s drought conditions that extended into late fall combined with very windy winter conditions and frozen soils were tough for some evergreens.—
Pamm Cooper,
Hartford Courant,
10 May 2025
Adjective
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Dodgers starter Dustin May was good, dotting the corners of the strike zone with his wicked sinker-sweeper combination en route to a 6 ⅔-inning, two-run, five-strikeout outing — his longest since returning from a second career elbow surgery this year.—
Jack Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2025
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Enter Halvorsen, who struck out the dangerous Torkelson, walked McKinstry to load the bases, and then struck out Dillon Dingler with a wicked 2-2 slider.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
7 May 2025
Adjective
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Security clearance requirements limit the most sensitive jobs to U.S. citizens.—
Davis Winkie,
USA Today,
19 May 2025
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Even benchmarks can be misleading, since outcomes are highly sensitive to the types of tasks included.—
Josipa Majic Predin,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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The two then engaged in playful flirtation that escalated into a steamy encounter in another stall.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
18 May 2025
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Plus, the playful green shade will add a pop of color to any summer travel wardrobe.—
Melony Forcier,
Travel + Leisure,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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Clearly the Red Sox misread things here, but with Devers the situation is a little more complicated.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2025
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The plan gets more complicated than that and addresses other issues, but the main point is that the Republican proposal is a dramatic improvement over the current system.—
Matt Fleming,
Oc Register,
10 May 2025
Adjective
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This is potentially problematic to some U.S. analysts, given Saudi Arabia and the UAE’s close ties with China.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
14 May 2025
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The president’s high-profile and problematic approach to deportation, while politically popular with his constituency, costs a lot of money.—
Veronique de Rugy,
Twin Cities,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tricksy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tricksy. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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