crafty.

Clever at getting what you want through tricks, hidden plans, or deception.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• a crafty plan
• a crafty opponent
• a crafty maneuver

On the page

The apparently generous offer was a crafty way of making refusal look selfish.

Usage notes

Primary category: psychology / human behavior. Forms: crafty; craftier; craftiest. Writing functions: character, intention, strategy. Commonness: moderately common. Natural comparison forms checked; no intensity inferred from context.