Another synonym of the word cunning is trickery. The caption used the word cunningly because Odysseus actually devised a trick to get free from the hostage of the Cyclops, Polyphemus.
In the story, "The Odyssey," we learn of Odysseus who was a warrior. He entered the cave of the one-eyed giants known as the Cyclops.
His men advised him to quickly take milk and cheese from the cave and escape but he refused to heed their pleas. Polyphemus captured him there.
To escape, he passed a wooden rod through fire when Polyphemus was away caring for his sheep. When Polyphemus came back, he got him intoxicated and told him that his name was "Nobody".
When drunk, he drove the rod through the eyes of Polyphemus so that when the other cyclops came to inquire what was happening, Polyphemus told them that "Nobody" was killing him.
Clinging to the belly of Polyphemus' sheep, Odysseus made his escape from the cave.
Conclusively, all of these were acts of trickery that demonstrate how Odysseus escaped from the cave.
