1
as in cunning
clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means
the artful lawyer got the witness to admit he had been lying
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inventive
showing a noteworthy use of the imagination and creativity especially in inventing
that kitchen gadget is an artful tool for extracting cherry pits
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in virtuoso
accomplished with trained ability
that was an artful way to handle a very delicate situation
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of artful
Engineered as a low-impact tight that moves with you—not against you—a day of artful movement led by Cami Árboles would bring the new design to life.
—
Talia Abbas, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2026
No one did that better or with more artful affection.
—Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
With such a purposefully sparse scenic design and almost nothing in the way of splashy special effects besides some artful projections and the aforementioned trap doors, the actors are everything here.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2026
Starter Seth Lugo pitched four strong innings, including artful dodging of traffic in the second, and the bullpen stranded seven Colombia base runners the rest of the way.
—Maria Torres, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for artful
Talia Abbas, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2026
No one did that better or with more artful affection.
—Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
With such a purposefully sparse scenic design and almost nothing in the way of splashy special effects besides some artful projections and the aforementioned trap doors, the actors are everything here.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2026
Starter Seth Lugo pitched four strong innings, including artful dodging of traffic in the second, and the bullpen stranded seven Colombia base runners the rest of the way.
—Maria Torres, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for artful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for artful
Adjective
-
In state media comedy shows, jokes about Putin are told from time to time, but they are used to bolster his image as a powerful, cunning leader, and hold up Russia as a great country.—
Neringa Klumbytė,
The Conversation,
4 Mar. 2026
-
These ambitious, cunning, and often amoral Cold War operatives were usually marginal or even inconsequential figures at home.—
Alfred McCoy,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The basics are done well here too, with an excellent 24-hour coffee shop and patisserie off the lobby, a little café by the pool mixing inventive smoothies every morning, and an elevated snack bar at the heart of the resort, serving fresh, fluffy tacos.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
-
This will include everything from simply great hours of stand-up to inventive or wildly ambitious offerings that are big swings but may or may not completely hit the mark.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The French Connection is now mostly remembered for its virtuoso chase scene and Gene Hackman’s charm.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Slafkovský had two goals and an assist in a virtuoso performance, and Iowa Wild goaltender Samuel Hlavaj was sensational, stopping 39 of 40 shots, including an 18-save first period that gave his team belief that the improbable was possible.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Best Amazon Shoes and Accessories Deals Round out your spring wardrobe with supportive shoes, cute bags, and fun accessories from brands like Brooks, Kate Spade, and Kendra Scott.—
Isabel Garcia,
PEOPLE,
4 Apr. 2026
-
In the middle of the garden is a seating area with simple but cute second-hand furniture and a three-tier stone fountain from Backyard X-Scapes on Sorrento Valley Road.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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It’s served alongside rice cooked with mushrooms and herbs, a clever mashup of Malaysian nasi ulam and Haitian djon djon.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Meghan Blanco, a former federal prosecutor and veteran defense attorney, suggested Gee’s inaction with Essayli might be a clever act of resistance.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The invader is a skillful art restorer, Lori Butler (Michaela Coel), who’s been hired by Julian’s greedy children, Barnaby (James Corden) and Sallie (Jessica Gunning), to work, or pose, as their father’s new assistant.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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Literary style and themes Critics have praised French’s novels for their vivid settings, psychologically nuanced characters, and skillful dialogue.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Another camera, an eye tuned to the subtle strangeness of an otherwise ordinary day—someone or something, somewhere, must have caught a glimmer of the truth.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Vice President Vance, who is considered an isolationist, expressed private skepticism ahead of the attacks, and his relative silence during the first weeks of the war was perceived as a subtle way of distancing himself from the conflict.—
Jonathan Lemire,
The Atlantic,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
There’s a fierce competition in the Italian capital to see who can open the most beautiful, most original, most innovative, and most locally authentic hotel.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
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Their broader vision has been to create something that feels more intentional than a traditional brokerage model, pairing local expertise with innovative strategy while keeping client interests at the center of the process.—
Connie Etemadi,
AZCentral.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Artful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artful. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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