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Synonym Chooser

How is the word tricky distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of tricky are artful, crafty, cunning, foxy, slick, sly, and wily. While all these words mean "attaining or seeking to attain one's ends by guileful or devious means," tricky is more likely to suggest shiftiness and unreliability than skill in deception and maneuvering.

a tricky political operative

When can artful be used instead of tricky?

While the synonyms artful and tricky are close in meaning, artful implies indirectness in dealing and often connotes sophistication or cleverness.

elicited the information by artful questioning

When is it sensible to use crafty instead of tricky?

While in some cases nearly identical to tricky, crafty implies cleverness and subtlety of method.

a crafty lefthander

When might cunning be a better fit than tricky?

The words cunning and tricky can be used in similar contexts, but cunning suggests the inventive use of sometimes limited intelligence in overreaching or circumventing.

the cunning fox avoided the trap

When would foxy be a good substitute for tricky?

The synonyms foxy and tricky are sometimes interchangeable, but foxy implies a shrewd and wary craftiness usually involving devious dealing.

a foxy publicity man planting stories

When is slick a more appropriate choice than tricky?

In some situations, the words slick and tricky are roughly equivalent. However, slick emphasizes smoothness and guile.

slick operators selling time-sharing

When could sly be used to replace tricky?

The words sly and tricky are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, sly implies furtiveness, lack of candor, and skill in concealing one's aims and methods.

a sly corporate raider

Where would wily be a reasonable alternative to tricky?

The meanings of wily and tricky largely overlap; however, wily implies skill and deception in maneuvering.

the wily fugitive escaped the posse

Examples of tricky in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Figuring out the best age for Disney World can be tricky. Kaity Velez, Parents, 4 Oct. 2024 The action can be tricky to track, and sometimes the material veers into lull territory, but Noone’s writing offers Williams plenty of opportunity to wail all over the stage, playing the audience like a uilleann pipe. David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 4 Oct. 2024 Weekend travel in and out of Cincinnati this month will be a little tricky. Aaron Valdez, The Enquirer, 3 Oct. 2024 While a comet's behavior can be tricky to predict, astronomers say Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS could become bright enough to spot with the naked eye. John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tricky 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tricky.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near tricky

Cite this Entry

“Tricky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tricky. Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on tricky

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