Thesaurus results for SLYNESS

slyness

noun

Definition of slyness

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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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.

Recent Examples of slyness The harp is not an instrument of slyness, wryness, or the earth. — Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for slyness

Noun

Rhaenyra also dismisses Mysaria, a wise move carried out in a very unwise manner, given the woman’s cunning.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Nolan foregrounds the nobility that guides the character (his guilt, his dedication to his men, his yearning for his family) and neglects his wily cunning and egotism.

— Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 27 July 2026

Definition of cunning

Noun

They’re just executed here with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

— Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
That the film mostly pulls this off is testament to its formal precision and to a central pairing of actors, in Lavernhe and Lottin, who manage to find subtlety where broad strokes would seem to be called for.

— Caspar Salmon, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of subtlety

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slyly

slyness

smack

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“Slyness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slyness. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of slyness

noun

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