slyly

[slahy-lee]

adverb

1. in a deceitful manner; cunningly.

   They slyly plot to overthrow us.

2. in a roguish or mischievous way.

   Some were serious, while others slyly winked at the camera.

Word History and Origins

Origin of slyly¹

First recorded 1350–1400 slyly ( def. 1 ); 1835–40 slyly ( def. 2 ); sly ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )

Example Sentences

While Rittenhome casually declaws Rob Morrow’s crusading attorney, Scorsese slyly plays off the audience’s familiarity with his dark, violent crime films.

From Los Angeles Times

The “Alligator Alcatraz” storefront is cartoon gators slyly winking at us from under red baseball caps: It’s just a joke, and you’re in on it.

From Los Angeles Times

And chunks of cooked zucchini were slyly thrown into soups and spaghetti.

From Salon

Walter is a slyly adept social critic, and has clearly invested his protagonist with all of the outrage and heartbreak he himself feels about the dark course our world has taken.

From Los Angeles Times

The stars slyly become the circumference of the U.S. presidential seal.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• shrewdly www.thesaurus.com