Direct
Direct adjective - Done or working without something else coming in between.
Sneaky
Sneaky adjective - Given to acting in secret and to concealing one's intentions.
Usage example: his opponent's sneaky campaign manager was clearly up to something
Both words in one sentence
- The Auditors are also limited in their actions, being compelled to obey instructions, and being constrained from taking direct action in the world (unless they're sneaky about it).
Source: God's Hands Are Tied -
The apparent fight scene in the prison at the beginning is a minimalist version of every battle in the movie: first Scott tries a direct attack, which doesn't get him anywhere, then he does something sneaky, which does.
Source: Film / Ant-Man -
The Chessmaster: Mab, of all people, who, as a member of an immortal and nigh-omniscient and omnipotent race, appears to be running at least one major gambit with some very sneaky behind-the-scenes and direct manipulation.
Cite this Source
Sneaky and Direct. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/direct/sneaky
Direct & Sneaky. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/direct/sneaky>.
Sneaky or Direct. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/direct/sneaky.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "direct" and "sneaky" have occurred on timeline