artfulness

noun

Definition of artfulnessnext
1
as in cunning
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means with well-practiced artfulness, he convinced his mother he was sick enough to stay home from school but not sick enough for a visit to the doctor's office

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in skill
subtle or imaginative ability in inventing, devising, or executing something building a ship model requires a painstaking artfulness I don't have

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of artfulness No need to get bogged down in questions about provenance, artfulness, long-form storytelling, or even metaphors. — Robin Givhan, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 2026 All of this shone vividly through his work, which shared his joy, artfulness and deep feeling, and most of all privileged human experience and social interaction. — Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026 Mike Bowman, designer, furniture industry expert, and director of marketing for Harmonia Living, says this trend relies on furnishings to bring artfulness to a space—rather than just functionality. — Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Jan. 2026 There is a real seriousness to the score — the scheming bad-guy music has the artfulness of Prokofiev, and even the sneaking-around cues have musical integrity and structure. — Tim Greiving, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025 All things considered, each of the couple’s selections exudes artfulness — prioritizing top-quality design and materials meant to last a lifetime. — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for artfulness
  1. cunning
  2. skill
  3. subtlety
  4. skillfulness
  5. slyness
  6. subtleness
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
  • Bonnell appears to be treating software as another part of the motorcycle's suspension system and something that can be adjusted to suit the rider’s preferences, skill, and terrain.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026
  • This may not come as a surprise in a world not only of AI, but widespread access to technology that requires ordinary people to develop typing skills.
    — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of skill
Noun
  • They’re just executed here with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer.
    — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • That the film mostly pulls this off is testament to its formal precision and to a central pairing of actors, in Lavernhe and Lottin, who manage to find subtlety where broad strokes would seem to be called for.
    — Caspar Salmon, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of subtlety
Noun
  • After taking over hosting duties from Padma Lakshmi in season 21, Kish is now the undeniable face of the series, one that represents the continuously evolving future of its programming, which prioritizes culinary skillfulness.
    — McKinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 21 June 2026
Definition of skillfulness
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
Noun
  • The real surprise comes from the subtleness of the rose.
    — Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Apr. 2026
Definition of subtleness

Browse Nearby Words

artfully
artfulness
art house
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Cite this Entry

“Artfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artfulness. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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