1
2
a
: clever in concealing one's aims or ends : furtive
b
: lacking in straightforwardness and candor : dissembling
3
: lightly mischievous : roguish
a sly jest
slyly
adverb
or less commonly slily
She slyly evaded the question.
slyness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of sly in a Sentence
the movie pairs a sly, dissembling ex-con with an upstanding, straight-arrow cop
why, you sly fellow! I had no idea you were planning my birthday party
Recent Examples on the Web
Distinguished violinists from Joseph Szigeti to Hilary Hahn have tackled the Fourth Sonata, yet Jackiw sets a new standard, running the gamut from boisterous fiddling to solitary chant, with sly parodies of overcooked Romanticism along the way.
—
Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
Is Aubrey Plaza’s self-consciously vampy, campy performance a sly part of the film’s nutty design?
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2024
The novel also features sly references to Zemeckis’ film, including Forrest and Forrest Jr. meeting a young Tom Hanks on the set of Big and the character’s life being made into a movie.
—John Russell, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024
After some sly teases through a Spotify playlist and a pair of custom websites, Gaga finally confirmed the single’s release date via Instagram on Monday (Oct. 21).
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sly 
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Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
Is Aubrey Plaza’s self-consciously vampy, campy performance a sly part of the film’s nutty design?
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2024
The novel also features sly references to Zemeckis’ film, including Forrest and Forrest Jr. meeting a young Tom Hanks on the set of Big and the character’s life being made into a movie.
—John Russell, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024
After some sly teases through a Spotify playlist and a pair of custom websites, Gaga finally confirmed the single’s release date via Instagram on Monday (Oct. 21).
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sly
Dictionary Entries Near sly
Cite this Entry
“Sly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sly. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
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