1
: performed with or showing art or skill
an artful performance on the violin
2
3
: artificial
trim walks and artful bowers—
William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth
artfulness
noun
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A writer may produce an artful piece of prose, one that's clearly and elegantly written. The same writer might also make an artful argument, one that cleverly leaves out certain details and plays up others so as to make a stronger case. In the first instance, the prose is well crafted; in the second, the argument might instead be called crafty. But even though both uses are correct, most of us still use artful somewhat differently from artistic.
Synonyms
Examples of artful in a Sentence
the artful lawyer got the witness to admit he had been lying
that kitchen gadget is an artful tool for extracting cherry pits
Recent Examples on the Web
Largely through artful cartel marketing portraying tusi as pretty, fun, and accessible, this blend of cheap drug leftovers has become the substance of choice for Colombian DJs and Mexican rappers, a wolf in sheep’s clothing for European ravers, and a source of confusion for everyone else.
—Celia Ford, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024
Morris merges bombshell interviews with government officials and artful narrative vignettes tracing one migrant family’s plight, and showing that the cruelty at the heart of the policy was its very purpose as over 1,300 children are without confirmed reunifications years later.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2024
Based on Jacob Soboroff’s book Separated: Inside an American Tragedy, Morris merges bombshell interviews with government officials and artful narrative vignettes to trace one migrant family’s plight, revealing that the cruelty at the heart of this policy was its very purpose.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 12 Sep. 2024
Think of plates as frames and assemble artful place settings by stacking styles with colorful outer bands, and transferware bowls with delicate overall patterns top them off.
—Sandra S. Soria, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for artful 
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Celia Ford, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024
Morris merges bombshell interviews with government officials and artful narrative vignettes tracing one migrant family’s plight, and showing that the cruelty at the heart of the policy was its very purpose as over 1,300 children are without confirmed reunifications years later.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2024
Based on Jacob Soboroff’s book Separated: Inside an American Tragedy, Morris merges bombshell interviews with government officials and artful narrative vignettes to trace one migrant family’s plight, revealing that the cruelty at the heart of this policy was its very purpose.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 12 Sep. 2024
Think of plates as frames and assemble artful place settings by stacking styles with colorful outer bands, and transferware bowls with delicate overall patterns top them off.
—Sandra S. Soria, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for artful
Dictionary Entries Near artful
Cite this Entry
“Artful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/artful. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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