as in cunning
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means
we appreciated the subtlety with which our host indicated that it was time to leave: he volunteered to pack us a little lunch for the road
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Recent Examples of subtlety
At first glance, the fairytale village of Saanen appears frozen in time, yet its dynamic appeal lies in its subtlety.
—
Monica Mendal, Vogue, 23 Jan. 2025
McLaurin stood up and shrugged his shoulders -- not flashily like Michael Jordan, but with his own subtlety.
—Sam Fortier The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 23 Jan. 2025
Raw tuna is often presented in ways that emphasize its subtlety and richness; here, instead, all those piquant, pickly bits seem to give the fish’s oceanic sweetness permission to flex and flow, revealing its character the way a few drops of water open up a rare single malt.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2025
Most actors in the audition process didn't deliver those nuances, but Green’s subtleties enhanced all of those facets and landed her the job.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for subtlety 
Monica Mendal, Vogue, 23 Jan. 2025
McLaurin stood up and shrugged his shoulders -- not flashily like Michael Jordan, but with his own subtlety.
—Sam Fortier The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 23 Jan. 2025
Raw tuna is often presented in ways that emphasize its subtlety and richness; here, instead, all those piquant, pickly bits seem to give the fish’s oceanic sweetness permission to flex and flow, revealing its character the way a few drops of water open up a rare single malt.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2025
Most actors in the audition process didn't deliver those nuances, but Green’s subtleties enhanced all of those facets and landed her the job.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for subtlety
Thesaurus Entries Near subtlety
Cite this Entry
“Subtlety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subtlety. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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