canniness

noun

Definition of canninessnext
1
as in intelligence
exceptional discernment and judgment especially in practical matters negotiates business deals with all of the proverbial canniness of an old-time horse trader

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 canniness with which she negotiated her contract as spokesperson for the shoe manufacturer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for canniness
  1. intelligence
  2. cunning
  3. wit
  4. subtlety
  5. acumen
Noun
  • Trump's selection of Gabbard has drawn scrutiny over her lack of a background in intelligence, along with her views on Russia, recently deposed Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and other U.S. adversaries.
    Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2025
  • This is an extraordinarily serious job that requires maintaining the independence of the intelligence community.
    Beatrice Peterson, ABC News, 11 Jan. 2025
Definition of intelligence
Noun
  • There’s an unapologetic cunning at the heart of this series, and a mercurial spirit that’s as slippery as blood on an Italian marble floor.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2024
  • Just as Nordlinger shows that the peacemakers and Nobel laureates whose work holds up best are those who brought specific conflicts to an end, the organizations in Bob's account that get the most done are those that pursue limited goals with cunning and patience.
    Walter Russell Mead, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2012
Definition of cunning
Noun
  • Known for his deadpan wit and self-deprecating stories, Uecker will be fondly remembered by all who knew him.
    Al Bethke, National Review, 17 Jan. 2025
  • But Bernard is at his wits end and just wants to be free of the burden of leadership, one which has only worsened throughout Season 2.
    Barry Levitt, TIME, 17 Jan. 2025
Definition of wit
Noun
  • The intricate subtleties and emotional expressiveness of the film’s lions were pushed to new levels.
    Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 13 Jan. 2025
  • This was a crystallizing moment in my teaching career: what afflicts literature, more than book banning, is this rapid loss of the ability to read for deeper meanings, to grasp subtlety, and to understand ambiguity.
    Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 2 Nov. 2024
Definition of subtlety
Noun
  • The guys up at Auburn rave about his intelligence, his football acumen and his work ethic.
    Creg Stephenson | cstephenson@al.com, al, 20 Jan. 2023
  • But Lord knows, there’s a mountain of acumen and perspicacity or, in plain terms, good horse sense stored in those minds and souls.
    Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Jan. 2023
Definition of acumen
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near canniness

cannily

canniness

canning

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Cite this Entry

“Canniness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canniness. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

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