caginess

noun

variants also cageyness
1
as in intelligence
exceptional discernment and judgment especially in practical matters most consumers should possess sufficient caginess to see through that scam

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cunning
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means the lawyer's celebrated caginess makes her the first choice of the hopelessly guilty

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for caginess
  1. intelligence
  2. cunning
  3. wit
  4. deviousness
  5. shrewdness
  6. subtlety
  7. insight
  8. slyness
Noun
  • Ukrainian Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara said analysts from Ukraine's intelligence services, the General Staff and the Defense Ministry had assessed the strikes' effects.
    — HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
  • RoboParty is also expanding PartyOS to cover areas including humanoid locomotion, perception, whole-body manipulation and autonomous robot intelligence.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of intelligence
Noun
  • Rhaenyra also dismisses Mysaria, a wise move carried out in a very unwise manner, given the woman’s cunning.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Nolan foregrounds the nobility that guides the character (his guilt, his dedication to his men, his yearning for his family) and neglects his wily cunning and egotism.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 27 July 2026
Definition of cunning
Noun
  • Inextricable to Long’s art, though, is a self-awareness and acerbic wit that elevates the narrative and reminds us that humor is integral to survival, too.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
  • One of them was Maggie Bieritz, one of those people who radiates joy and wit.
    — Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of wit
Noun
  • Focus on either your high level of integrity or your deviousness.
    — Alice Burton, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The piece urges critical inquiry into such claims, emphasizing that human oversight, not AI's inherent deviousness, can be a sizable contributor.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of deviousness
Noun
  • Spain’s shrewdness came in their refusal to engage with off-the-ball trivialities.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • Instead, Franklin will rise by virtue of hard work and (actual) shrewdness.
    — John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
Definition of shrewdness
Noun
  • Part of lilac’s staying power may also come from its subtlety.
    — Jennet Jusu, Allure, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The hope is that Emma’s story will offer a fresh perspective on a genre that hasn’t always treated its female characters with a lot of nuance or subtlety.
    — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of subtlety
Noun
  • The aim is to help a variety of institutions gain insights into the origins of their collections, providing a basis for further actions.
    — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Also at Iberseries, Pedro Lopes, director general of content at SPi in Portugal, gave some insight into typical microdrama viewing behavior.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of insight
Noun
  • The harp is not an instrument of slyness, wryness, or the earth.
    — Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Like the tricksters of myth, there’s depth to their slyness.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 5 Feb. 2026
Definition of slyness
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.

Browse Nearby Words

cagey
caginess
caging
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Cite this Entry

“Caginess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caginess. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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