1
as in cute
clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means
a cunning, underhanded plan to win the election by preying on people's fears and prejudices
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in skilled
skillful with the hands
only the most cunning cabinetmaker could have crafted such a beautifully proportioned chest of drawers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in slyness
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means
the cunning with which Tom Sawyer was able to get others to whitewash the fence for him
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2
as in skill
subtle or imaginative ability in inventing, devising, or executing something
the unmatched cunning of the scout who led them safely through the trackless wilderness
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in deception
the inclination or practice of misleading others through lies or trickery
used cunning and subterfuge to lure unwitting victims into the fraudulent scheme
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cunning
Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025
Tristan’s cunning plan for telling Sykes about his beloved dead pigeon is to completely avoid him and pretend to be Siegfried on the phone.
—Alice Burton, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2025
Walter Russell Mead, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2012
David slayed the giant with a slingshot; Esther by her cunning saved her people.
—Gwen Faulkenberry, arkansasonline.com, 12 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for cunning
Adjective
Their infatuations are challenged by a cunning philosopher who persuades the bros to pretend they’ve been suddenly drafted and to return later in disguise to woo each other’s fiancée.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025
Tristan’s cunning plan for telling Sykes about his beloved dead pigeon is to completely avoid him and pretend to be Siegfried on the phone.
—Alice Burton, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2025
Noun
Just as Nordlinger shows that the peacemakers and Nobel laureates whose work holds up best are those who brought specific conflicts to an end, the organizations in Bob's account that get the most done are those that pursue limited goals with cunning and patience.
—Walter Russell Mead, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2012
David slayed the giant with a slingshot; Esther by her cunning saved her people.
—Gwen Faulkenberry, arkansasonline.com, 12 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for cunning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cunning
Adjective
-
Snake Bird Vintage has a fantastic array of clothing and accessories in a cute repurposed garage.—
Kara Franker,
Southern Living,
13 Apr. 2025
-
His grousing is interrupted by some very cute uncle moments with Maria and Tommy’s son, Benji, then Joel takes off just as Tommy gets back.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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However, even the most skilled clinicians can struggle if the technology is difficult to use.—
Jiang Li,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
-
There will be beverages from New Belgium Brewery; a market featuring the wares of DTL’s skilled staff and teachers; tool demonstrations; and a raffle.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In each episode, the friends bring those skills together to overcome a new challenge as a team.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
14 Apr. 2025
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This translates into Jan having to collaborate with many versions of himself that have unique skills and far too many conflicting personalities defined by past events.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In another case, Balmer pleaded guilty in 2016 to forgery and theft by deception charges, court documents show.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
14 Apr. 2025
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Imposter syndrome is an internal struggle with feeling like a fraud despite being qualified, whereas career catfishing is an active deception.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Mulaney’s approach to social commentary on his show is even more subtle; sometimes, concentrating a sketch on a character like Willy Loman is enough.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
7 Apr. 2025
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The game is a fun but challenging exercise for your brain which asks players to group words based on subtle and sometimes tricky connections, which tests your logic and language skills.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Hiring managers must learn to distinguish between misuse and skillful application to capture a candidate’s ability to tackle real-world challenges.—
Bing Yu Yap,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
-
He is known for his skillful wedge game and a booming drive, but at Memorial Park, his whole game coalesced perfectly.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
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But here, Gyllenhaal mesmerizes in a career-best performance that taps into the infinite well of his talent, portraying Iago’s scorching resentment, guile and humor.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA TODAY,
24 Mar. 2025
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All of which is to say, Cooper is very good at playing someone adept at persuasion, either through intimidation or guile.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
9 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The deceit and deception is positively intoxicating to this longtime reality competition fan.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
27 Mar. 2025
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The campaign registers domains that are close enough to legitimate websites to trick users into clicking, or at least to stop them flagging the deceit.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes,
12 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cunning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cunning. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
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