cagey

adjective

ca·​gey ˈkā-jē How to pronounce cagey (audio)
variants or less commonly cagy
cagier; cagiest
Synonyms of cageynext
1
: hesitant about committing oneself
officials are cagey about giving out details
2
a
: wary of being trapped or deceived : shrewd
a cagey consumer
b
: marked by cleverness
a cagey reply
cagily adverb
caginess noun
or less commonly cageyness

Examples of cagey in a Sentence

a cagey old politician who is exceptionally skilled at getting federal money for his district when it came time to sign the contract, he suddenly got cagey about taking on the job
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The opening 30 minutes at the RB Arena were cagey. Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 28 May 2026 Lastly, this squad list suggests Pochettino is likely to lean into the main prinicples of his aggressive, transition-minded tactical identity that has defined most of his club managerial career, rather than adopt a more cautious approach for what can be the cagey stage of international football. Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026 The company has been cagey about deadlines in the past, and to keep dunnarts alive past birth, Pask’s team would still need to develop a synthetic pouch for the tiny animal — born smaller than a grain of rice — complete with synthetic nipples that get progressively larger as the baby grows. Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 19 May 2026 Undoubtedly the biggest star on LIV, and among the top handful of players in the world in both talent and fan interest, DeChambeau has been somewhat cagey as to his next move. Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for cagey

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1876, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cagey was in 1876

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cagey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cagey. Accessed 31 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

cagey

adjective
ca·​gey
variants also cagy
cagier; cagiest
: very careful of not being trapped or deceived
a cagey buyer
cagily adverb
caginess
-jē-nəs
noun

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