1
as in cunning
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means
it did not take an incredible amount of foxiness on his part to get you to spill the beans
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in deceptiveness
the inclination or practice of misleading others through lies or trickery
an imposter of such formidable foxiness that a movie was made of his entertaining escapades
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in intelligence
exceptional discernment and judgment especially in practical matters
lacks the foxiness needed to make it in dog-eat-dog world of show business
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foxiness
Noun
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Maybe the mere fact of having been born illustrious, with no apparent faults, with nothing to prove or to be ashamed of, had liberated John from the resentments the rest of us feel, and from the cunning and ambition such resentments fuel.—
Jeffrey Eugenides,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2026 -
The Brazil international combines technical craft with a decisive cunning.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Of course, the retort is that this would be irritating and exasperating to be continually deluged with alerts about AI deceptiveness.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
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Beyond the deceptiveness of the narrow material view, spiritual light and hope are always present to be found and felt.—
Sue Brightman,
Christian Science Monitor,
3 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Miguel Díaz Canel’s comments come a day after Axios reported, citing US intelligence, that Havana had acquired hundreds of drones and discussed plans to use them against Washington’s military assets in the region.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
19 May 2026
-
Company leadership and investors emphasize that operating physical retail without real-time intelligence in 2026 is equivalent to leaving billions of dollars on the table.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
Sports fans can appreciate subtlety but there is a reason baseball hosts a home run derby and not a bunt fest, and basketball has a dunk contest in lieu of a layup line.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
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Fukada stealthily shades in these subtleties of feeling into the story with exacting skill, creating a drama that touches on social issues but never feels issues-driven.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Widespread deception was rampant, with businesses spending far more on green marketing than on actual sustainability improvements.—
Suvrat Dhanorkar,
The Conversation,
18 May 2026
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That, along with the angle of his arm—his arm slot, in baseball terms—adds another layer of deception.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Millions tuned in to watch the battle of wits.—
Michael Ashley,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
Barney’s passion and wit were second to none, and our thoughts are with his family today.—
Patricio Chile,
ABC News,
20 May 2026
Noun
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Mike Bowman, designer, furniture industry expert, and director of marketing for Harmonia Living, says this trend relies on furnishings to bring artfulness to a space—rather than just functionality.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
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There is a real seriousness to the score — the scheming bad-guy music has the artfulness of Prokofiev, and even the sneaking-around cues have musical integrity and structure.—
Tim Greiving,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Unlike the recent Margo’s Got Money Troubles, a series intent on adding human texture to all our preconceptions about online adult performers, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed seems more interested in the dramatic potential of intimate deceit.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
20 May 2026
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But those movies, in different ways, were about trickery and deceit, about drawing the audience into a head game of perception.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
14 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Foxiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foxiness. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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