artfulness

noun

Definition of artfulnessnext
1
as in cunning
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means with well-practiced artfulness, he convinced his mother he was sick enough to stay home from school but not sick enough for a visit to the doctor's office

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in skill
subtle or imaginative ability in inventing, devising, or executing something building a ship model requires a painstaking artfulness I don't have

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for artfulness
  1. cunning
  2. skill
  3. subtlety
Noun
  • Joey Merlo’s cunning, captivating On Set With Theda Bara first lit its murky lights at the Brick a year ago — and now, in a heartening example of institutional collaboration, the Transport Group and the Lucille Lortel Theatre have pitched in as presenters to bring it back for an encore performance.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2024
  • For Mirren, the cunning and cruelty of Whitfield is a timely example of power corrupting absolutely.
    — Hunter Ingram, Variety, 23 Feb. 2025
Definition of cunning
Noun
  • Meghan Markle may host a series that shows off her skills in the kitchen, but apparently her husband Prince Harry isn’t a bad cook, either.
    — Erin Hill, People.com, 9 Mar. 2025
  • With the rise of the gig economy and digital platforms, turning your existing skills into a profitable side hustle has never been easier, or more necessary.
    — Melissa Houston, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
Definition of skill
Noun
  • The script sounds like it was written with underlines for emphasis and no subtlety.
    — Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 8 Mar. 2025
  • In an era of rampant method dressing, Moore and her longtime stylist Brad Goreski ran a masterclass in subtlety.
    — Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 1 Mar. 2025
Definition of subtlety
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.

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“Artfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artfulness. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025.

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