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Showing results for cagey. Search instead for cagier.
Synonyms

cagey

American  
[kay-jee] / ˈkeɪ dʒi /
Also cagy

adjective

cagier, cagiest
  1. cautious, wary, or shrewd.

    a cagey reply to the probing question.

    Synonyms:
    chary, leery, prudent, careful
    Antonyms:
    forthright, open

cagey British  
/ ˈkeɪdʒɪ /

adjective

  1. informal not open or frank; cautious; wary

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of cagey

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95; cage + -y 1


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Ukraine is understandably cagey about how it goes about confronting this increasingly sophisticated threat, but electronic methods to disrupt the drones' connectivity are high on the list.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

But as time went on, Matt was cagey around his phone and reluctant to call me his girlfriend.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

In truth, I found this a bit cagey.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

Companies that build bot-detection tools are cagey about revealing exactly what triggers a captcha, worried that explaining the rules would help attackers get around them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

It was evident from her cagey behavior that, whatever the topic, this conversation would not end well.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

The crowd - and a Grand Slam on the line - might make this a cagier affair.

From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2023

Lucas, who makes throwaway remarks about being a “cis white male” at an elite institution, is cagier — and more in control than his skittish demeanor lets on.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 20, 2022

The answer here was cagier, and I was asked not to quote it directly.

From Slate ● Aug. 12, 2021

The athletes, less forthright about their body-image issues, were cagier about their usage.

From The Guardian ● Jan. 31, 2020

Some cagier gamblers might wait until closer to game time to bet the underdogs.

From New York Times ● Sep. 18, 2019

Few can parry like Bacon — and he was at his cagiest about his work, speaking abstractly of the importance of “chance” and “accident.”

From New York Times ● Mar. 23, 2021

Yet here she was, about to match wits with some of the cleverest and cagiest card players in the world.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 1, 2020

Though I had expected Johns to be guarded about his past or his personal life, it was a surprise to find him cagiest about his artistic process.

From New York Times ● Feb. 18, 2019

She has a winsome translator, a force of loyal eunuch fighters and an adviser who happens to be the cagiest person in this entire story.

From New York Times ● Jun. 24, 2016

"The cagiest bat flies once too often," he said.

From The Bat by Avery Hopwood

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