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.
Recent Examples on the WebAnd its offset top level—Ben’s clever method for avoiding power lines—results in a quirky zig-zag silhouette.—Morgan Goldberg, Architectural Digest, 4 Oct. 2024 The airline has established a clever benefit for passengers exploring Sonoma County, with the Wine Flies Free program where passengers enrolled in Alaska's Mileage Plan frequent flyer program can check an entire case of wine for free.—Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 3 Oct. 2024 Here are 12 clever ways to use wax paper both in and out of the kitchen.—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2024 Find it on Amazon Enjoy Spotless Floors With This Dedicated Robot Cleaner
Save someone from the tedium of household chores with the clever robot.—Kat Romero, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for clever
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clever.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English cliver, perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Danish dialect kløver alert, skillful
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