sly

[US]/slaɪ/
[UK]/slaɪ/
Frequency: Very High

Translation

adj.cunning; deceitful;knowing; mischievous

Phrases & Collocations

on the sly

Example Sentences

a sly sip of water.

He is a sly dog.

a sly old bird.

she had a sly personality.

he gave a sly grin.

He's a sly old fox.

Brooks is a sly dog.

a foxy scheme.See Synonyms at sly

his love of intrigue and sly indirection.

she was sly, selfish, and manipulative.

I was ready to sly out the alley door.

she's always making sly innuendoes.

That sly guy stole the cake while the cook's back was turned.

"However sly a fox may be, it is no match for a good hunter."

You can't trust him; he's a sly old fox.

He cast a sly glance at his bridge partner.

People consider foxes as clever but sly animals.

Dad's sly grin reflected the devilment that had returned to his eyes.

She didn’t seem to have much appetite for dinner. I wonder if she’s been eating chocolates on the sly?

The fruit seller was sly - he put his best fruit in front but gave people bad ones from behind.

Real-world Examples

My role is to be sly, obsequious and without scruples.

Source: Game of Thrones Season 1

During the silence, a sly look came into Caderousse's eyes.

Source: The Count of Monte Cristo: Selected Edition

" You're a sly dog" ! said Passepartout, winking at him.

Source: Around the World in Eighty Days

Snakes and lizards are squiggly, sometimes slimy and even sly.

Source: National Geographic (Children's Section)

Don't do things on the sly or get too finicky.

Source: CNN 10 Student English December 2021 Collection

Finch, you sly dog. The Dewey decimal system.

Source: TV series Person of Interest Season 2

Hey Chuck, that was a sly move on your part.

Source: A Charlie Brown New Year Special

Having lost the argument, it has apparently gone ahead and implemented them on the sly.

Source: The Economist - Comprehensive

The sly cat stole the meat while the cook's back was turned.

Source: Liu Yi's breakthrough of 5000 English vocabulary words.

And the boy dropped his big, shaggy head, with a sly smile at me.

Source: "Education of Love" February

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