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
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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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canniness
Noun
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This biomimetic approach to AI development would position Malaysia to export not just technological products, but technological philosophies — ways of thinking about intelligence that emerge from ecological rather than industrial metaphors.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025 -
There are hints throughout the film that Elizabeth may have been an intelligence agent.—
Ralphie Aversa,
USA Today,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Despite being outnumbered fifty-to-one by the Five Families of the Italian Mafia, the Westies’ legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
30 July 2025
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Despite being outnumbered 50-to-1 by the Five Families of the Italian mafia, the Westies’ legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
28 May 2025
Noun
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This new play pulses with live music, quick wit, and backstage mayhem, capturing the electric atmosphere of a cultural revolution in the making.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
20 Aug. 2025
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Lots of Sneaking, Multiple Perspectives When Resident Evil Requiem debuted at the Summer Game Fest, Capcom emphasized that the new protagonist, FBI agent Grace Ashcroft, must rely on her wits and less on her strength to survive.—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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However, Stone has moved away from the more classic styles (like those reminiscent of a nightgown) in favor of subtlety.—
Ángela Moreno Vallejo,
Glamour,
28 Aug. 2025
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Here, the show abandons both its grasp of subtlety and its special effects acumen.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
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Cite this Entry
“Canniness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canniness. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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