subtle
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:
Mr. Katz’s livelier, more conversational prose brings out its subtle and scathing comedy.
From The Wall Street Journal β Oct. 30, 2026
I would trade you a hundred Yosemite Valleys for the solitude and subtle beauty offered here at dusk, as the sun sets over the Glass Mountains and the sky turns mauve.
From Los Angeles Times β Oct. 29, 2026
Early pancreatic cancer typically produces few noticeable symptoms, and the changes it causes in pancreatic tissue can be too subtle to detect through standard medical imaging.
From Science Daily β Oct. 26, 2026
It can sometimes take subtle forms, making it harder for business owners to detect.
From BBC β Oct. 25, 2026
The sidewalk lights cast a subtle light in the darkness.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
![]()
“The Whale” is subtler on stage than it is on screen; its metaphors work better in the theater’s buoyant atmosphere for which they were conceived.
From Los Angeles Times β Sep. 9, 2026
As particle accelerators became more powerful and detectors grew increasingly sensitive, researchers gained access to subtler physical processes.
From Science Daily β Sep. 2, 2026
It remains to be seen whether “Kitchen Undercover” will rely on prosthetics, fake mustaches or merely the subtler costume of the unrecognized employee.
From Salon β Jul. 5, 2026
“There is also a subtler danger,” he writes, of AI “reflecting and reinforcing the stereotypes or ideological bias of their designers and developers.”
From The Wall Street Journal β May 27, 2026
That they marched heedlessly to tragedy is a subtler one.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
![]()
Of all the American sports, baseball, though seeming the simplest, is, I believe, the subtlest.
From The Wall Street Journal β Oct. 29, 2026
The group’s project, which is sponsored by the Colombian government, focuses on the subtlest, non-motor symptoms of the disease.
From New York Times β May 23, 2023
"Blinks are one of the subtlest of human movements, so designing mechanisms that can mimic these movements require advanced technology, such as high-precision motors," Ms Kiilavuori explains.
From BBC β May 4, 2023
“I’ll talk influences all day, because my influences only affect my music in the subtlest ways,” Wifigawd says.
From Washington Post β Apr. 20, 2023
Tragedy turned him into one of the subtlest and sharpest satirists in American letters.
From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin
![]()
Vocabulary lists containing subtle
100 Top "SAT" Words
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com β one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Latin Root "sub" Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more β and it's all completely free to use!
The Silent Treatment: Words Plagued by Silent Letters
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com β we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a word