All of Laptsev went to stare at the bride-to-be—she was no beauty, but everyone could see that she was clever, sophisticated …—Isaac Bashevis Singer, New Yorker, 29 Sept. 2003… the three of them may give Gray Davis, who was too clever for his own good, his comeuppance.—Garrison Keillor, Time, 25 Aug. 2003Some thought he had no redeeming value whatsoever. A sociopath. A clever manipulator …—Louise Erdrich, New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2002Those who can't write poetry, write clever letters to the editor. Those who can't write clever letters to the editor, write angry letters to the editor.—Matt Groening, Utne Reader, November/December 1987The old lady was clever enough and he thought that if she had started from any of the right premises, more might have been expected of her.—Flannery O'Connor, Everything That Rises Must Converge, 1967
Some cats are clever enough to figure out how to operate doorknobs.
That's the cleverest idea I've heard yet!
She found a clever hiding place for the letter.
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Croatia found its swagger in the second half, though, when substitute Ante Budimir guided home a teasing cross from Josip Stanisic in the 53rd minute after a clever backheel from Marco Pasalic set him on his way down the right wing.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
24 June 2026 Garner’s breezy knit sweater is a clever cover-up for windy beach days, while her lightweight skirt can go from work straight to the pool.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
PEOPLE,
24 June 2026 By treading lightly with finishes, opening up the loft area to more light, and getting clever with storage, Marie channeled the unit’s coastal locale, conjuring up an aesthetic lexicon that suggests the interior of a boat with its clean, functional lines.—
Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar,
Architectural Digest,
23 June 2026 Conducting a deliberate teardown without concern about the draft-pick ramifications would be a clever way for the Bucks to get back at Silver and the league.—
Bryan Toporek,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for clever
Word History
Etymology
Middle English cliver, perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Danish dialect kløver alert, skillful