1
as in smart
having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment
a canny card player, good at psyching out his opponents
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in comfortable
chiefly Scottish
enjoying physical comfort
warm and canny under the woolen bedcovers, we didn't mind the chilly Scottish nights
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of canny
The app seems cannier than other platforms in funneling comedy videos to receptive viewers.
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Sapna Maheshwari, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2024
Anthropic’s Claude had that very morning given me canny insight into a personal matter.
—Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 17 Oct. 2024
Against that backdrop, Harris’s first economic promise—exempting tips from taxation—was canny.
—Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2024
The book is filled with humor, canny allusion, beauty, and a profundity born of glimpsing fleeting human lives from the outside—through eyes that have seen epochs yet nonetheless remain befuddled.
—The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for canny 
Sapna Maheshwari, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2024
Anthropic’s Claude had that very morning given me canny insight into a personal matter.
—Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 17 Oct. 2024
Against that backdrop, Harris’s first economic promise—exempting tips from taxation—was canny.
—Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2024
The book is filled with humor, canny allusion, beauty, and a profundity born of glimpsing fleeting human lives from the outside—through eyes that have seen epochs yet nonetheless remain befuddled.
—The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for canny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canny
Adjective
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Project Sid departs from this model, showing how AI civilizations could scale to address real-world challenges, such as optimizing supply chains, designing smarter cities, exploring social dynamics, or even managing healthcare systems.Jason Snyder, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024
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If another Fiesta Bowl victory awaits the Broncos, Madsen will need to connect on those one or two play-action opportunities when Jeanty freezes the safeties, and make the smart, safe plays that hold on to the ball and keep drives alive.Justin Williams, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Wayne Rooney and Plymouth Argyle have never felt like entirely comfortable bed-fellows.Phil Hay, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
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Washboard is significantly more comfortable, as are larger bumps and potholes on pavement.Bryan Rogala, Outside Online, 30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Burnett had a prime role in elevating Trump as a primetime fixture as the star of The Apprentice, as the real estate developer was presented to the public as a wildly successful entrepreneur with astute instincts for spotting talent.Ted Johnson, Deadline, 21 Dec. 2024
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Through a rich heritage, carefully crafted brand strategies and astute business acumen, Montblanc has built an enduring legacy of distinction.Fairchild Studio, WWD, 16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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But while Silicon Valley leaders advocate for relaxed restrictions on high-skilled immigration to enhance America's global competitiveness, Trump's first term took a contradictory approach.Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024
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Dinesh and his little cafe taught me a valuable lesson on slow marketing—that a relaxed approach can sometimes be the most effective way to stand out.Nitin Gupta, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The Kraken pounced quickly and have made a shrewd gamble here.Shayna Goldman, The Athletic, 19 Dec. 2024
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Wang, a shrewd negotiator, is known for taking her time before striking deals.Lisa Lockwood, WWD, 16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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These savvy shoppers voted with their dollars and selected the best vacuums in every category.Maggie Horton, People.com, 29 Dec. 2024
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Similar to what Lively would say about Baldoni, Allen had savvy and aggressive publicists working on his behalf to spin a narrative to the public that was favorable to him and harmful to his alleged victim, according to Ronan Farrow.Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 27 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Canny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canny. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
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