cunning minds

USAGE SUMMARY

"cunning minds" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it to describe people who are clever, wise, and able to find clever solutions to difficult problems. Example sentence: "The team's success was due to their cunning minds, which allowed them to devise a clever strategy."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Instead, racist ideas have usually been produced by some of the most brilliant and cunning minds of each era.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

To make matters worse, Jim has a cunning mind.

The New Yorker

It takes a cunning mind to break out of jail.

The New York Times - Books

The faked prescriptions, the references to Annette's impending death, the lecture about the perfect murder, the bizarre lies, the shaved eyebrows, the e-mailed toxicology inquiries: these didn't exactly seem like the product of a cunning mind.

The New Yorker

Still, his portrait of the region is a strong one, built on meticulously detailed intelligence gathered, sifted and analyzed for unspoken secrets and lies by the author's own deeply cunning mind.

The New York Times - Books

In front of a log fire, or on a sunny afternoon in the garden, there could be few greater satisfactions than doing battle with that warm, nimble, generous yet invariably cunning mind.

The Guardian

Why limit yourself to the traditional means of dining when you have the cunning mind of an adult human being?

Vice

Some of the movie's virtues are, at first glance, modest ones, like those of its hero, who is pleased to present himself as a simple backwoods lawyer, even as his folksy mannerisms mask a formidable and cunning political mind.

The New York Times

Thus my old sparring partner, Peter Oborne, savours Darling's "cunning duplicitous mind" beneath the boring exterior and – as an ex-stockbroker – solemnly proclaims that if a FTSE company had issued such a budget statement the fraud squad would have been called in.

The Guardian

But now! — now! — and again he would lose himself in the most surprising and preternatural ponderings, which baffled all the introspective cunning of his mind.

The New York Times

As one of the UK's better known and most successful entrepreneurs who have to think he has got a cunning plan in mind.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing someone as having "cunning minds", consider the context to ensure the connotation aligns with your intention. While cunning can imply cleverness, it can also suggest a degree of deceit or manipulation.

Common error

Avoid using "cunning minds" in contexts where a purely positive attribute is intended. Using terms like "brilliant minds" or "ingenious thinkers" may be more appropriate when emphasizing intelligence without implying manipulation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "cunning minds" functions primarily as a descriptive noun phrase, modifying individuals or groups characterized by a particular kind of intelligence. According to Ludwig AI, it describes people who are clever and wise. Examples show it used to describe strategic thinkers and political figures.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

82%

Wiki

7%

Science

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

2%

Encyclopedias

2%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "cunning minds" effectively describes individuals or groups known for their cleverness and strategic thinking. According to Ludwig AI, it's considered grammatically correct and usable in written English. While predominantly found in News & Media, it conveys a sense of ingenuity. Be mindful of its connotations, as "cunning" can sometimes imply deceit, so consider alternatives like "astute intellects" or "shrewd minds" to avoid any negative implications. The phrase is not overly formal, making it versatile for different contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

shrewd minds

Substitutes "cunning" with "shrewd", highlighting practicality and resourcefulness in thinking.

clever intellects

Replaces "cunning" with "clever" and "minds" with "intellects", focusing on quick-wittedness and ingenuity.

sharp intellects

Substitutes "cunning" with "sharp" and "minds" with "intellects", emphasizing quickness and precision of thought.

astute intellects

Replaces "cunning" with "astute" and "minds" with "intellects", emphasizing intelligence and insight.

ingenious minds

Substitutes "cunning" with "ingenious", emphasizing inventiveness and creativity in thinking.

artful minds

Replaces "cunning" with "artful", suggesting skill and cleverness, especially in a subtle or indirect way.

resourceful minds

Replaces "cunning" with "resourceful", highlighting the ability to find clever ways to overcome difficulties.

brilliant minds

Replaces "cunning" with "brilliant", highlighting exceptional intelligence and talent.

strategic thinkers

Shifts from a descriptive phrase to a noun phrase focusing on individuals skilled in strategy.

deceptive minds

This phrase replaces "cunning" with "deceptive", emphasizing the ability to mislead or trick others, altering the connotation to imply dishonesty.

FAQs

How can I use "cunning minds" in a sentence?

You can use "cunning minds" to describe individuals or groups who are particularly clever and strategic in their thinking, as in "The success of their plan was due to their cunning minds".

What's a good alternative to "cunning minds" that doesn't imply deception?

If you want to avoid any negative connotations, consider using alternatives such as "astute intellects", "shrewd minds", or "clever intellects".

Is "cunning minds" always a negative description?

Not necessarily. While "cunning" can imply deceit, it can also describe someone who is particularly skilled at achieving their goals through cleverness and strategy. The context determines the connotation.

In what contexts is it appropriate to use "cunning minds"?

It is appropriate to use "cunning minds" when describing a character in fiction who is clever and strategic, or in historical analyses where individuals employed sophisticated strategies to achieve their aims. However, use caution in contemporary contexts where it might be misconstrued.