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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Ototo is a popular brand of clever everyday kitchen tools, utensils, and gadgets that resemble animals, characters, and other shapes, and its top-selling Spaghetti Spoon is a favorite among customers for its fun design and multi-purpose functions.—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2025 This worthy and worthwhile homage explores how Manzoni redefined the far-reaching possibilities of art with absurdism, irony, humor, precision, curiosity, and clever innovation.—Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025 Forget headlines about ransomware paid, or about the billions of dollars lost every year to increasingly clever miscreants.—Rick Bennett, Time, 17 Sep. 2025 Holland also originated the role of Elegba in the 2009 production of The Brothers Size, which perhaps catalyzes a clever, poignant dynamic in his tension with Mays’ Elegba.—Essence, 17 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for clever
Word History
Etymology
Middle English cliver, perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Danish dialect kløver alert, skillful
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