variants
also cagy
1
as in slick
clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means
a cagey old politician who is exceptionally skilled at getting federal money for his district
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hesitant
slow to begin or proceed with a course of action because of doubts or uncertainty
when it came time to sign the contract, he suddenly got cagey about taking on the job
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cagey
Biden and Clyburn have been longtime friends, but Clyburn stayed cagey in the days leading up to his endorsement announcement.
—
David Jackson, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2020
The Schuyler sisters provide the most beautiful voices in the production, with Krystal Joy Brown offering a poignant Eliza, and Mandy Gonzalez a smart and cagey Angelica.
—Kyle Smith, National Review, 10 Feb. 2020
Cote and Mark were pretty cagey when asked if Michael will be back.
—Megan Stein, Country Living, 7 Jan. 2020
Quarterback Drew Lock looked like a cagey veteran and not a first-time NFL road starter, completing 22 of his 27 attempts for 309 yards and three touchdowns.
—Ryan O’Halloran, The Denver Post, 8 Dec. 2019
See All Example Sentences for cagey
David Jackson, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2020
The Schuyler sisters provide the most beautiful voices in the production, with Krystal Joy Brown offering a poignant Eliza, and Mandy Gonzalez a smart and cagey Angelica.
—Kyle Smith, National Review, 10 Feb. 2020
Cote and Mark were pretty cagey when asked if Michael will be back.
—Megan Stein, Country Living, 7 Jan. 2020
Quarterback Drew Lock looked like a cagey veteran and not a first-time NFL road starter, completing 22 of his 27 attempts for 309 yards and three touchdowns.
—Ryan O’Halloran, The Denver Post, 8 Dec. 2019
See All Example Sentences for cagey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cagey
Adjective
-
The outfit was completed by a white undershirt, a pair of mesh tights, a few silver tone necklaces, and a slick pair of H&M leather knee-high boots.—
Robyn Mowatt,
Essence,
28 Feb. 2025
-
Elisabeth does not know that the Substance will open up a massive tear in her back from which a nude, slick Margaret Qualley emerges.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Joey’s still hesitant about Monica’s sister, Nicolle.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2025
-
But with Trump’s tariffs threatening imports from Mexico, Canada, and China, Target could face additional challenges as consumers grow more hesitant.—
Francisco Velasquez,
Quartz,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Reading it, one is reminded, once again, that Trump is a politician who is cunning but semiliterate and ignorant.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2025
-
Sign up The abusive couple were cunning, said Allison Pearson in The Daily Telegraph.—
The Week UK,
theweek,
21 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Here is another gloomy spaceship, abounding in grim experiments and hostile personalities, with Pattinson once more playing a reluctant space traveller.—
Justin Chang,
The New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2025
-
At nearly every turn, he’s been able to get away with it, often with the reluctant acquiescence of Western leaders, from George W. Bush to Angela Merkel, who looked away from his misdeeds for the sake of diplomatic comity.—
Bret Stephens,
The Mercury News,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
In December 2024, the brand opened a cute hut that could have been plucked out of a Disney cartoon on the beach of the St. Regis Kanai Resort in Riviera Maya.—
Hikmat Mohammed,
WWD,
9 Mar. 2025
-
Trendy cuffed denim and new takes on the brand’s beloved barrel jeans are in the mix, but that’s only the beginning; cute shorts, skirts, and capris are also up for grabs (and starting to sell out).—
Jake Henry Smith,
Glamour,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Then, in early 2025, a certain South African’s activity on social media, the acquisition of Twitter, a frenzied foray into politics, a few dubious salutes, and now the brand is imploding.—
Peter Lyon,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
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But mobster Reggie Fontaine (Freeman), who’s been bankrolling Max’s dubious projects, is not at all amused.—
Joe Leydon,
Variety,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Two wily cousins take on the mob while also running around a giant film set?—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
19 Feb. 2025
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The establishing scenes of Islands feel like something out of a James M. Cain novel — a wily noir, in this case drenched in subtropical heat and blinding sunshine.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
16 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Subscribe Kuok Meng Wei, whose grandfather was once called the world’s shrewdest businessman by Forbes, is leading his family into what the 41-year-old describes as the hottest industry in decades.—
Jonathan Burgos,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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As seen through Leite’s hedonistic sensibilities, Brazil’s red-light districts vibrated with intoxicating samba and bohemian camaraderie; shrewd madams kept the police at bay, and clients did not dare mistreat the women.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cagey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cagey. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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