CRAFTY Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words

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

Some common synonyms of crafty are artful , cunning , foxy , slick , sly , tricky , and wily . While all these words mean "attaining or seeking to attain one's ends by guileful or devious means," crafty implies cleverness and subtlety of method. // a crafty lefthander

Q: Where would 'artful' be a reasonable alternative to 'crafty'?

The words artful and crafty 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 'cunning' be a better fit than 'crafty'?

While in some cases nearly identical to crafty , cunning suggests the inventive use of sometimes limited intelligence in overreaching or circumventing. // the cunning fox avoided the trap

Q: In what contexts can 'foxy' take the place of 'crafty'?

The words foxy and crafty can be used in similar contexts, but foxy implies a shrewd and wary craftiness usually involving devious dealing. // a foxy publicity man planting stories

Q: When is 'slick' a more appropriate choice than 'crafty'?

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

Q: When is it sensible to use 'sly' instead of 'crafty'?

The synonyms sly and crafty are sometimes interchangeable, but sly implies furtiveness, lack of candor, and skill in concealing one's aims and methods. // a sly corporate raider

Q: When can 'tricky' be used instead of 'crafty'?

The meanings of tricky and crafty largely overlap; however, tricky is more likely to suggest shiftiness and unreliability than skill in deception and maneuvering. // a tricky political operative

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

Although the words wily and crafty have much in common, wily implies skill and deception in maneuvering. // the wily fugitive escaped the posse

crafty

adjective

ˈkraf-tē

Definition of crafty next

as in cunning

clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means a crafty real estate broker who got people to sell their property at bargain prices

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How is the word crafty distinct from other similar adjectives?

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

a crafty lefthander

Where would artful be a reasonable alternative to crafty?

The words artful and crafty 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 cunning be a better fit than crafty?

While in some cases nearly identical to crafty, cunning suggests the inventive use of sometimes limited intelligence in overreaching or circumventing.

the cunning fox avoided the trap

In what contexts can foxy take the place of crafty?

The words foxy and crafty can be used in similar contexts, but foxy implies a shrewd and wary craftiness usually involving devious dealing.

a foxy publicity man planting stories

When is slick a more appropriate choice than crafty?

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

slick operators selling time-sharing

When is it sensible to use sly instead of crafty?

The synonyms sly and crafty are sometimes interchangeable, but sly implies furtiveness, lack of candor, and skill in concealing one's aims and methods.

a sly corporate raider

When can tricky be used instead of crafty?

The meanings of tricky and crafty largely overlap; however, tricky is more likely to suggest shiftiness and unreliability than skill in deception and maneuvering.

a tricky political operative

When would wily be a good substitute for crafty?

Although the words wily and crafty have much in common, wily implies skill and deception in maneuvering.

the wily fugitive escaped the posse

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of crafty The crafty dribbler teams with high-scoring Felicity Nguyen (25 goals, seven assists) and Lauren Lim (seven goals, four assists) to power the Eagles’ attack. —

Dan Albano, Oc Register, 26 Feb. 2026 For a crafty afternoon, use wire cutters to cut metal hangers into smaller pieces and bend them into small shepherd’s hook shapes to decorate as plant markers. —

Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 2026 Drake Powell provided one of the early highlights with five quick points off the bench, first burying a smooth step-back 3-pointer from the right wing, then following it with a crafty drive and physical finish moments later. —

C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2026 The budget on the gowns and sets must have been prodigious, or the below-the-line folks were just crafty, because this is a visually ravishing movie. —

Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 18 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for crafty

Recent Examples of Synonyms for crafty

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

Definition of cunning

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craftswomen

crafty

crag

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“Crafty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crafty. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.

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Last Updated: 18 Mar 2026 - Updated example sentences

Synonyms of crafty

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