CAGEY Synonyms: 146 Similar and Opposite Words

cagey

adjective

ˈkā-jē

variants also cagy

Definition of cagey

as in cunning

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in reluctant

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

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 cagey As Vidal quietly made the rounds, normally vocal leaders were somewhat cagey, keeping comments focused on humanitarian support. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 7 July 2026 After a reporter asked on Thursday, June 11 about Kelce’s progress during minicamp and if the coach was going to the upcoming wedding, Reid was cagey. — Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 11 June 2026 Lastly, this squad list suggests Pochettino is likely to lean into the main prinicples of his aggressive, transition-minded tactical identity that has defined most of his club managerial career, rather than adopt a more cautious approach for what can be the cagey stage of international football. — Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026 The company has been cagey about deadlines in the past, and to keep dunnarts alive past birth, Pask’s team would still need to develop a synthetic pouch for the tiny animal — born smaller than a grain of rice — complete with synthetic nipples that get progressively larger as the baby grows. — Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 19 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for cagey

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cagey

Adjective

Magpies are opportunistic scavengers, incredibly cunning and deceitful and capable of calculated deception.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
Last week, Alan Cumming’s cunning competition empire The Traitors unsheathed its most diabolical twist yet.

— Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of cunning

Adjective

Still, the prospect of additional supply from American producers remains uncertain, with companies reluctant to commit to major new investments amid volatile prices and geopolitical risks.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
Cast as Eva, the head of an international organization trying to save the planet in Project Hail Mary, Hüller spends this sci-fi blockbuster strictly on terra firma, acting as a socially awkward, deadpan foil for Ryan Gosling’s reluctant astronaut.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of reluctant

Adjective

At their on-screen meet cute, Apatow hands Bamford $500 cash just to pitch her on her own documentary.

— Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
The showstopper is a very cute idea where each baker has to make a dessert cart with at least three classic desserts on it.

— Brian Moylan, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of cute

Adjective

Producers could use advanced technology to increase the recovery rate, but that requires major investments, which companies are hesitant to make in a country led by a government with a history of breaking contracts and current instability.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
Former Hartford Association of Teachers President Carol Gale was not so hesitant.

— Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of hesitant

Adjective

Walid Itayim plays a free and funky guitar solo over Sami Shabshab’s slick bassline, but the lyrics pierce straight through the upbeat tune.

— Shy Clara Thompson, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
And belief isn’t manufactured by marketing departments, slick hype videos or breathless preseason predictions.

— Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of slick

Adjective

The rash can be more subtle on darker skin tones, but a bumpy or textured feel is often present.

— Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
The last major change was the iPhone X, which dropped the home button almost a decade ago, and even that was a fairly subtle improvement.

— Nilay Patel, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of subtle

Browse Nearby Words

cages

cagey

caginess

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Cagey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cagey. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of cagey

adjective

Example Sentences

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