as in cunning
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means
we appreciated the subtlety with which our host indicated that it was time to leave: he volunteered to pack us a little lunch for the road
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Recent Examples of subtlety
The air Fryer arrived on American shores with all the subtlety of a sack of fried potatoes.
—
Matthew Korfhage, WIRED, 6 Feb. 2025
She was known for her subtlety, crafting clothing that blended seamlessly into each film’s era.
—Ash Wu, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2025
As anyone who’s watched an iota of sports programming over the past few years can attest, the betting business doesn’t traffic in subtlety.
—Sean Gregory / Boston, TIME, 27 Jan. 2025
The team's findings suggest that under specific criteria, despite the subtlety of these signals, one operating radio telescope could be sensitive enough to detect them or, equally importantly, their absence in the near future.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 8 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subtlety
Matthew Korfhage, WIRED, 6 Feb. 2025
She was known for her subtlety, crafting clothing that blended seamlessly into each film’s era.
—Ash Wu, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2025
As anyone who’s watched an iota of sports programming over the past few years can attest, the betting business doesn’t traffic in subtlety.
—Sean Gregory / Boston, TIME, 27 Jan. 2025
The team's findings suggest that under specific criteria, despite the subtlety of these signals, one operating radio telescope could be sensitive enough to detect them or, equally importantly, their absence in the near future.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 8 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subtlety
Cite this Entry
“Subtlety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subtlety. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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