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.

Although subtle, these processes play an important role in shaping the planet's surface and atmosphere.

From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026

Cardamom carries a subtle floral note and a quiet citrus edge that sharpens the cinnamon without competing with it.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

As the sun sank, neighbors began banging spoons on metal pots from inside their homes, the subtle but unmistakable clank of government protests.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026

If one looks carefully, its move could be a subtle dig at Tesla and Elon Musk.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

The keys on Robbie's piano had a subtle unevenness of color and shape, places where bits of the ivory had broken off over time, leaving them looking like a set of bad teeth.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama