Sly

Characterized by cunning, craftiness, and deceptiveness; demonstrating a cleverness or skill in getting what one wants, often through trickery or secrecy.

A sly person or action often avoids direct confrontation, relying instead on subtle manipulation or indirect methods to achieve their aims.

This can manifest as being artful, shrewd, or even mischievous, often operating in a way that is intended to avoid detection or to take advantage of others.

Sly meaning with examples

The detective, known for his sly interrogation techniques, subtly guided the suspect towards a confession. His artful questioning left the suspect unaware of the trap, eventually revealing crucial information about the crime. This deceptive approach eventually led to the solution of the case.
With a sly grin, the cat crept along the fence, its eyes fixated on the unsuspecting bird feeder. The cunning creature moved stealthily, its intent to pounce, hoping to seize the unattended treats inside. The clever cat eventually made its move.
She had a sly way of getting what she wanted, promising to do more than she would and manipulating expectations. She often made vague promises in order to later weasel out of them. This resulted in her getting several lucrative assignments.
He gave a sly wink to his accomplice before the game, signalling that the coast was clear. The signal showed the other player that there were no authorities around, that he should attempt his play. His wink indicated that they had coordinated the cheating.

Sly Synonyms

artful clever crafty cunning devious foxy mischievous shrewd slyboots sneaky tricky underhanded wily

Sly Antonyms

candid forthright frank guileless honest naive open trusting

Sly Crossword Answers

4 Letters

CAGY ARCH FOXY WILY

5 Letters

CAGEY SNAKY SHARP CANNY DODGY SLICK

6 Letters

SNEAKY SHIFTY CRAFTY ARTFUL COVERT SHREWD ASTUTE SUBTLE FELINE TRICKY CLEVER

7 Letters

CUNNING FURTIVE DEVIOUS ROGUISH VULPINE FOXLIKE KNOWING KNAVISH TRICKSY

8 Letters

DEVILISH SCHEMING SNEAKING STEALTHY WEASELLY SLIPPERY GUILEFUL

9 Letters

UNDERHAND DECEITFUL INSIDIOUS DECEPTIVE DESIGNING

11 Letters

CLANDESTINE UNDERHANDED MISCHIEVOUS CALCULATING

12 Letters

DISINGENUOUS

13 Letters

CRAZYLIKEAFOX UNTRUSTWORTHY MACHIAVELLIAN SURREPTITIOUS