as in cunning
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means
the slyness with which the FBI agent infiltrated the subversive organization without their knowledge was indeed impressive
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Recent Examples of slyness
Like the tricksters of myth, there’s depth to their slyness.
—
Big Think, 5 Feb. 2026
Ay, the superb slyness of that last response!
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Big Think, 5 Feb. 2026
Ay, the superb slyness of that last response!
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slyness
Noun
-
The Brazil international combines technical craft with a decisive cunning.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
-
But Muck is no Epstein, malevolent and cunning.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Somewhere, for me, showed the everyday reality of being a celebrity with great subtlety.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The track’s many subtleties also come through well.—
Mark Knapp,
PC Magazine,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slyness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slyness. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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