1
as in cunning
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means
other antique dealers envied her for her craftiness in getting people to sell their treasures for a song
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in deception
the inclination or practice of misleading others through lies or trickery
according to the confidence man's credo of craftiness, "There's a sucker born every minute"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for craftiness
Noun
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Neither his fearsome resolve nor his supreme cunning—which had enabled him to vanquish his rivals and spiritually crush his inner circle—was in evidence in 1941.—
Stephen Kotkin,
Foreign Affairs,
19 Sep. 2017 -
Despite being outnumbered 50-to-1 by the Five Families of the Italian mafia, the Westies’ legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
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But these seductions or deceptions are canceled when the work confronts us with the photographic records of the performative procedure itself—and not only by making the photograph an integral component, the dialectical complement to the material sculptural production.—
Benjamin H. D. Buchloh,
Artforum,
1 June 2025
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He’s got some deception on the puck and does a good job holding onto it to wait for secondary options to open up, but slows the game down too much.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
Noun
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None of these spring explorations of sisterly deceit and self-deception has been able to surpass Apple TV+’s Bad Sisters as the recent genre peak.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
28 May 2025
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Starring Tom Cruise, the movies are loaded with action, deceit and globe-spanning adventures – everything a good spy film should be.—
Keith Langston,
People.com,
24 May 2025
Noun
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While not necessarily with the same resume as Mitchell, Smith’s defensive guile and ability to space the floor with his shooting could stand as a low-cost alternative to Mitchell, likely at the veteran minimum.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
21 May 2025
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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
Noun
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Most pharmaceutical patents have their roots in work done or supported by the NIH, and many scientists at pharmaceutical manufacturers learned their craft at institutions supported by the NIH or at the NIH itself.—
Elisabeth Rosenthal,
Miami Herald,
22 May 2025
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Participants will get creative and make some crafts the whole family can enjoy.—
Joe Rassel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 May 2025
Noun
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Instead of addressing waste and fraud and providing adults with a path to productive and independent lives through meaningful work, the Pritzker administration attacks these reform efforts.—
Regan Deering,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2025
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More than £46 billion in loans had been disbursed by various lenders through the scheme, according to the Department for Business and Trade, but the agency also admitted there had been more than 100,000 cases of loss due to fraud and error.—
Robert Olsen,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Craftiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/craftiness. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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