1
as in cunning
clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means
the movie pairs a sly, dissembling ex-con with an upstanding, straight-arrow cop
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shady
given to acting in secret and to concealing one's intentions
why, you sly fellow! I had no idea you were planning my birthday party a sly undercover police officer
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in mischievous
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness
a sly sense of humor
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sly
Some fans took it as a sly comment towards her relationship.
—
Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 25 June 2025
In a moment of sly genius, Duke gained entry by concealing himself as one of Lyle’s ghostly henchmen using a rubber band and a piece of white tissue as his disguise.
—Hazlitt, 18 June 2025
From sly grog shops to speakeasies, people created places to connect and celebrate, even when the world tried to keep them apart.
—Rebecca Styn, Rolling Stone, 13 June 2025
In practice, this would be a field day for NIMBY types (or sly hotel owners) who have an alderman’s ear (or the means to boost an aldermanic bank account).
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sly
Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 25 June 2025
In a moment of sly genius, Duke gained entry by concealing himself as one of Lyle’s ghostly henchmen using a rubber band and a piece of white tissue as his disguise.
—Hazlitt, 18 June 2025
From sly grog shops to speakeasies, people created places to connect and celebrate, even when the world tried to keep them apart.
—Rebecca Styn, Rolling Stone, 13 June 2025
In practice, this would be a field day for NIMBY types (or sly hotel owners) who have an alderman’s ear (or the means to boost an aldermanic bank account).
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sly
Adjective
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The Residence starred Uzo Aduba as quirky detective Cordelia Cupp, who uses her cunning intellect and obsessive bird-watching abilities to crack otherwise unsolvable cases.—
Andy Swift,
TVLine,
2 July 2025
-
As for steps that could be taken in the nineteenth century, Lyell managed to invent a cunning way to determine the relative age of geological strata.—
Lewis Hyde,
Harpers Magazine,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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One of them is Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend), a shady pharmaceuticals bigwig who wants to develop the world’s most effective heart medication using dinosaur blood samples.—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
30 June 2025
-
Old-school bedding impatiens will bloom continuously in a shady spot.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
29 June 2025
Adjective
-
Wearing a now-iconic red tie and less cartoonish design with more angular and mischievous features, DKC’s version of Kong has been a staple for over 30 years.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
10 July 2025
-
Her intelligence is that vital and exacting, her wit that mischievous, her concerns – feminism, environmentalism, dystopian societies – that urgently relevant.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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Oh, and the best pairs of the bunch are also plain old comfy (and cute, in a gorpcore kind of way).—
Sara Coughlin,
SELF,
7 July 2025
-
July 6, 2025: Rodman watching Shelton’s match at Wimbledon is so cute the ESPN announcer literally giggles trying to talk about them.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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Another sneaky one to watch is starting center Connor McGovern, who is also a free agent after the season.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
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And since his value has been diminished by the fact a logjam at forward made everyone forget about him, a team could nab this sneaky contributor for not too much more than the veteran minimum.—
Mat Issa,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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Tiernan McKinney often works on guitar necks, while Kennedy himself has input along the way on design, wood type, color and the wicked inlays found from top to bottom of each piece.—
Otto Rabe,
The Enquirer,
9 July 2025
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Zayn fought back valiantly, but was cut off in midair with a wicked Spear from Breakker.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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They are intended to reduce trauma to the scalp, may contribute to smoother recovery, and are designed to help achieve subtle, natural-looking outcomes.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
12 July 2025
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The property’s subtle musical motif reminds guests of its beginnings as a radio station, while the sunset libations at its Hi-Fi Rooftop Bar draw a regular crowd.—
Katie Strasberg Rousso,
Southern Living,
12 July 2025
Adjective
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Tom Cruise may shoot furtive glances at co-stars, punch of co-stars in the face and/or betray co-stars for the good of mankind.—
Keith Sharon,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
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Mounting fear within the Jewish and Conservative communities of New York is that Mamdani’s furtive stance of justice for Palestine and divestment from Israel is stoking the flame of more virulent Anti-Semitism to come.—
Alexandra Bregman,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sly. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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