Synonyms of subtlety

subtlety

noun

ˈsə-tᵊl-tē 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cunning
• artfulness
• subtleness
• slyness
• guile
• deviousness
• slickness
• sneakiness
• canniness
• ease
• cunningness
• craft
• craftiness
• wiliness
• artifice
• calculation
• caginess
• inventiveness
• cageyness
• cleverness
• shrewdness
• finesse
• foxiness
• design
• care
• ingenuity
• guilefulness
• savvy
• ingeniousness
• sharpness
• duplicity
• facility
• shiftiness
• underhandedness
• deceitfulness

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of subtlety

Her low-intervention winemaking practices reflect this belief, with a focus on subtlety and nuance that draw the consumer into the layers of the wine. —Rachel King, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024

Tula insisting on using the poison to put Orry’s horse out of its misery rather than a blunter object hints at the subtlety that separates her from the megaphone-loud blasts of her sister’s voice. —Scott Tobias, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2024

Some of the stereo panning in the music is faint, but the effective stereo separation of the left and right channels helps highlight these subtleties. —PCMAG, 27 Oct. 2024

Instead, the focus falls on the subtlety of gin infusions, tonics and accompanying garnish. —Paul Caputo, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024