WILY Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'wily' distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of wily are artful , crafty , cunning , foxy , slick , sly , and tricky . While all these words mean "attaining or seeking to attain one's ends by guileful or devious means," wily implies skill and deception in maneuvering. // the wily fugitive escaped the posse

Q: When is it sensible to use 'artful' instead of 'wily'?

The words artful and wily are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, artful implies indirectness in dealing and often connotes sophistication or cleverness. // elicited the information by artful questioning

Q: When might 'crafty' be a better fit than 'wily'?

The words crafty and wily can be used in similar contexts, but crafty implies cleverness and subtlety of method. // a crafty lefthander

Q: When would 'cunning' be a good substitute for 'wily'?

The meanings of cunning and wily largely overlap; however, cunning suggests the inventive use of sometimes limited intelligence in overreaching or circumventing. // the cunning fox avoided the trap

Q: Where would 'foxy' be a reasonable alternative to 'wily'?

While in some cases nearly identical to wily , foxy implies a shrewd and wary craftiness usually involving devious dealing. // a foxy publicity man planting stories

Q: When can 'slick' be used instead of 'wily'?

While the synonyms slick and wily are close in meaning, slick emphasizes smoothness and guile. // slick operators selling time-sharing

Q: When is 'sly' a more appropriate choice than 'wily'?

In some situations, the words sly and wily are roughly equivalent. However, sly implies furtiveness, lack of candor, and skill in concealing one's aims and methods. // a sly corporate raider

Q: In what contexts can 'tricky' take the place of 'wily'?

The synonyms tricky and wily are sometimes interchangeable, but tricky is more likely to suggest shiftiness and unreliability than skill in deception and maneuvering. // a tricky political operative

wily

adjective

ˈwī-lē

Definition of wily next

as in cunning

clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means a wily judge of character, she takes advantage of car buyers' insecurities to sell them a bigger machine than they really need

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How is the word wily distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of wily are artful, crafty, cunning, foxy, slick, sly, and tricky. While all these words mean "attaining or seeking to attain one's ends by guileful or devious means," wily implies skill and deception in maneuvering.

the wily fugitive escaped the posse

When is it sensible to use artful instead of wily?

The words artful and wily are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, artful implies indirectness in dealing and often connotes sophistication or cleverness.

elicited the information by artful questioning

When might crafty be a better fit than wily?

The words crafty and wily can be used in similar contexts, but crafty implies cleverness and subtlety of method.

a crafty lefthander

When would cunning be a good substitute for wily?

The meanings of cunning and wily largely overlap; however, cunning suggests the inventive use of sometimes limited intelligence in overreaching or circumventing.

the cunning fox avoided the trap

Where would foxy be a reasonable alternative to wily?

While in some cases nearly identical to wily, foxy implies a shrewd and wary craftiness usually involving devious dealing.

a foxy publicity man planting stories

When can slick be used instead of wily?

While the synonyms slick and wily are close in meaning, slick emphasizes smoothness and guile.

slick operators selling time-sharing

When is sly a more appropriate choice than wily?

In some situations, the words sly and wily are roughly equivalent. However, sly implies furtiveness, lack of candor, and skill in concealing one's aims and methods.

a sly corporate raider

In what contexts can tricky take the place of wily?

The synonyms tricky and wily are sometimes interchangeable, but tricky is more likely to suggest shiftiness and unreliability than skill in deception and maneuvering.

a tricky political operative

Examples of wily in a Sentence

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Recent Examples on the Web Billy Crudup took best supporting actor in a drama for The Morning Show over cult Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano, whose performance as the wily samurai Kashigi Yabushige was a Shogun fan favorite. —

Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Sep. 2024 And where on Earth, Wall Streeters wondered, was the wily billionaire John Malone, Zaslav’s longtime mentor and protector on the board, as his personal stake in the company shrank in value? —

Dade Hayes, Deadline, 13 Sep. 2024 But this fall, Jennie Snyder Urman gives Matlock a makeover: Instead of a man, the character is now an older woman who is a superhero of sorts, armed with butterscotch candies and wily tactics that win cases and expose corruption. —

Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2024 Goldman is like a wily, self-justifying Philip Roth invention that asserts a new kind of J’accuse by shaming the court and invoking the pressure of Jewish history. —

Armond White, National Review, 6 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for wily