Canny: meaning and SAT practice

Canny (adjective) means: Shrewd and careful, especially in business or dealing with others.

Canny in a sentence

The canny investor studied the market trends before making any big purchases.

Similar: shrewd, clever, careful, astute. Opposite: reckless, naive.

SAT-style practice: what does “canny” most nearly mean?

The canny investor studied the market trends before making any big purchases.

As used in the sentence, “canny” most nearly means

  1. contemporary
  2. pompous
  3. immature
  4. shrewd
Show the answer

Answer: D. “canny” means: Shrewd and careful, especially in business or dealing with others. “shrewd” is the closest match in this sentence. The other choices are real SAT-level words, but none of them carries that meaning here.

On the digital SAT this is the “Words in Context” skill, about 7 of the 54 Reading and Writing questions. The test asks what a word means as used in the passage, so a word’s most common meaning is not always the answer. More of these, with full explanations, are on SAT Words in Context practice questions.

  • astute: Having keen insight and good judgment.
  • circumspect: Careful to consider all circumstances and consequences before acting.
  • judicious: Having good judgment and making wise, careful decisions.
  • painstaking: Requiring or showing great care and effort.
  • punctilious: Very careful about details and proper behavior or conduct.
  • scintillating: Brilliantly clever, witty, or sparkling with light and energy.

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