Synonym Chooser

How is the word wily distinct from other similar adjectives?

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

the wily fugitive escaped the posse

When is it sensible to use artful instead of wily?

The words artful and wily are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, artful implies indirectness in dealing and often connotes sophistication or cleverness.

elicited the information by artful questioning

When might crafty be a better fit than wily?

The words crafty and wily can be used in similar contexts, but crafty implies cleverness and subtlety of method.

a crafty lefthander

When would cunning be a good substitute for wily?

The meanings of cunning and wily largely overlap; however, cunning suggests the inventive use of sometimes limited intelligence in overreaching or circumventing.

the cunning fox avoided the trap

Where would foxy be a reasonable alternative to wily?

While in some cases nearly identical to wily, foxy implies a shrewd and wary craftiness usually involving devious dealing.

a foxy publicity man planting stories

When can slick be used instead of wily?

While the synonyms slick and wily are close in meaning, slick emphasizes smoothness and guile.

slick operators selling time-sharing

When is sly a more appropriate choice than wily?

In some situations, the words sly and wily are roughly equivalent. However, sly implies furtiveness, lack of candor, and skill in concealing one's aims and methods.

a sly corporate raider

In what contexts can tricky take the place of wily?

The synonyms tricky and wily are sometimes interchangeable, but tricky is more likely to suggest shiftiness and unreliability than skill in deception and maneuvering.

a tricky political operative

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of wily Redford played the wily outlaw opposite Newman in 1969's Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, a box-office smash from which Redford's Sundance Institute and festival got its name. Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025 Potential trouble arises when the wily victim of Danny’s, Pauline, starts snooping around the house, hears Danny’s voice and starts to bargain for her silence. Pete Hammond, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2025 But within that slightly eccentric look, Dano gives a wily and insinuating performance. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 31 Aug. 2025 Liam is a tornado of affable douchbaggery, rolling from insult to confrontation to huge chorus, while Noel strums a few paces off-center, a wily smirk the only flicker of emotion on his face. Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wily
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wily
Adjective
  • Norris portrays the cunning and relentless Chief Dennison, with Tripp as Liz Bradley, a border patrol agent with a true-north moral compass, in her first major film role.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Maigret must outwit some of Paris’s most cunning and violent criminals, while dealing with his own troubled past.
    Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • There are also two new delightfully cute additions to the collection — a shiny gold pair that would look radiant on warm-tone complexions and a pair that’s as stylishly macabre as the others, only smaller in size.
    Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
  • The songs remind kids that costumes can be cute and colorful instead of frightening.
    Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 10 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wily. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

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