canniness

noun

Definition of canninessnext
1
as in intelligence
exceptional discernment and judgment especially in practical matters negotiates business deals with all of the proverbial canniness of an old-time horse trader

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cunning
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means the canniness with which she negotiated her contract as spokesperson for the shoe manufacturer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for canniness
  1. intelligence
  2. cunning
  3. wit
  4. subtlety
  5. acumen
Noun
  • Chinese hacker groups affiliated with the CCP have been well documented by U.S. intelligence agencies.
    Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 31 Dec. 2024
  • In response, the Treasury Department, along with the FBI and intelligence agencies, has taken steps to secure affected systems and investigate the attack's scope.
    Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024
Definition of intelligence
Noun
  • There’s an unapologetic cunning at the heart of this series, and a mercurial spirit that’s as slippery as blood on an Italian marble floor.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2024
  • Just as Nordlinger shows that the peacemakers and Nobel laureates whose work holds up best are those who brought specific conflicts to an end, the organizations in Bob's account that get the most done are those that pursue limited goals with cunning and patience.
    Walter Russell Mead, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2012
Definition of cunning
Noun
  • Their remarkable wit, talent, and dynamic presence perfectly complement what promises to be an extraordinary series of evenings celebrating our community.
    Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 17 Dec. 2024
  • Dangerous, and often unscripted moments, like the ones described above have happened to a number of motorists across the country in 2024, leaving many to rely on their sheer wit and determination to survive.
    Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 17 Dec. 2024
Definition of wit
Noun
  • The film, the first entry in the Marvel universe with a female lead, channels the spirit of the 1990s both in its setting and in style, with heaping spoonfuls of Samuel L. Jackson and all the plot and subtlety of a blockbuster action movie.
    Jennifer M. Wood, WIRED, 21 Nov. 2024
  • For Henry James, characters lacking Jamesian subtlety are likely to fail the audition.
    Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 2 Nov. 2024
Definition of subtlety
Noun
  • The guys up at Auburn rave about his intelligence, his football acumen and his work ethic.
    Creg Stephenson | cstephenson@al.com, al, 20 Jan. 2023
  • But Lord knows, there’s a mountain of acumen and perspicacity or, in plain terms, good horse sense stored in those minds and souls.
    Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Jan. 2023
Definition of acumen
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near canniness

cannily

canniness

canning

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Canniness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canniness. Accessed 7 Jan. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

Using Bullet Points ( • )

'Gray' vs. 'Grey': What is the difference?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
tiny woman sitting on a pile of books reading
Little Words, Big Vocabulary Quiz Time to sweat the small stuff.