variants
also cagy
1
as in slick
clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means
a cagey old politician who is exceptionally skilled at getting federal money for his district
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hesitant
slow to begin or proceed with a course of action because of doubts or uncertainty
when it came time to sign the contract, he suddenly got cagey about taking on the job
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of cagey
DeSantis has been extremely cagey when asked direct questions about his vaccination status.
—
Chris Cillizza, CNN, 5 Jan. 2022
Biden and Clyburn have been longtime friends, but Clyburn stayed cagey in the days leading up to his endorsement announcement.
—David Jackson, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2020
The Schuyler sisters provide the most beautiful voices in the production, with Krystal Joy Brown offering a poignant Eliza, and Mandy Gonzalez a smart and cagey Angelica.
—Kyle Smith, National Review, 10 Feb. 2020
Cote and Mark were pretty cagey when asked if Michael will be back.
—Megan Stein, Country Living, 7 Jan. 2020
See All Example Sentences for cagey
Chris Cillizza, CNN, 5 Jan. 2022
Biden and Clyburn have been longtime friends, but Clyburn stayed cagey in the days leading up to his endorsement announcement.
—David Jackson, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2020
The Schuyler sisters provide the most beautiful voices in the production, with Krystal Joy Brown offering a poignant Eliza, and Mandy Gonzalez a smart and cagey Angelica.
—Kyle Smith, National Review, 10 Feb. 2020
Cote and Mark were pretty cagey when asked if Michael will be back.
—Megan Stein, Country Living, 7 Jan. 2020
See All Example Sentences for cagey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cagey
Adjective
-
Gere leaped to musicals with Chicago (2002) and danced away with a Golden Globe and SAG Award for his pitch-perfect performance as slick defense attorney Billy Flynn.—
Andrew Walsh,
EW.com,
23 Mar. 2025
-
The clean vocals are so slick, and the ad-libs so coarse, that rumors of Carti using an AI model of his own voice are circulating in the fandom.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
For those hesitant about sprinting due to fear of injury, here is a simple progression to help get started safely.—
Jesse Pines,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
-
But European governments remain hesitant about confiscating the capital.—
Joseph Ataman,
CNN,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Every actor is absolutely perfect in this super-efficient romp, from Cleese’s perfect straight man amidst the chaos, to Curtis’ seductive, cunning femme fatale, to Palin’s stammering, animal-loving hitman whose assassination attempts go disastrously wrong.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
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Their infatuations are challenged by a cunning philosopher who persuades the bros to pretend they’ve been suddenly drafted and to return later in disguise to woo each other’s fiancée.—
Mark Swed,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Amanda Knox On why some people may feel reluctant to acknowledge her innocence Acknowledging my innocence costs people something.—
Tonya Mosley,
NPR,
26 Mar. 2025
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By casting Statham as a reluctant avatar of righteousness in a country that continues to prey on its own, and trusting that his implacable sense of honor will resonate with an audience who feel like they’ve been taken advantage of for their decency.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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His rapping has a frail, slithering quality; his vocal tone morphs between cute squeakiness and ragged rottweiler growls.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
21 Mar. 2025
-
This Mainstays set accomplishes both goals and is so cute for summer.—
Megan Schaltegger,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The content creator’s posts regarding the incident were labeled as dubious, even after the publication of the full footage of the incident.—
Javier Bastardo,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
-
Some onlookers are also dubious that the change will make HHS more adept at rooting out fraud, waste and abuse.—
Maya Goldman,
Axios,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
In 1974, Foreman faced an aging but wily Muhammad Ali in the fight famously known as the Rumble in the Jungle.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
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In Duck Soup, Groucho Marx plays Rufus T. Firefly, a wily wisecracker who suddenly becomes installed as the leader of a tiny and very broke nation, Freedonia.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
TIME,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
These people painted a picture of a shrewd capitalist, making practical calculations to protect his businesses.—
Ashley Belanger,
Ars Technica,
20 Mar. 2025
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Their shrewd negotiators would undoubtedly invoke American precedent to subdivide their political entities.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cagey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cagey. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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