Synonyms
Examples of clever in a Sentence
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. 2003
Some thought he had no redeeming value whatsoever. A sociopath. A clever manipulator …
—Louise Erdrich, New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2002
Those 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 1987
The 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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Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Sep. 2023
Finding work nowadays comes with all the same emotional twists and turns as finding a date: there's longing, hope, clever DMs, anxiety, and also ghosting.
—Brad Mislow, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2023
And clever minds may even spot the murder weapon and maybe even the guilty party or parties.
—Kaely Monahan, The Arizona Republic, 9 Sep. 2023
But there’s a big difference between being loud and rude and being hilarious, cutting, or even clever.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2023
Like clever vultures, PE companies finance their purchases with debt and then dun unsuspecting customers to earn back their investment and more.
—Michael Kazin, The New Republic, 8 Sep. 2023
Luckily, fans have been praising Netflix for sticking pretty closely to the original story, including the fight scenes and clever foreshadowing.
—Temi Adebowale, Men's Health, 8 Sep. 2023
Keep scrolling for more clever Halloween decorations under $50.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Southern Living, 7 Sep. 2023
Leave everything in the default settings, and the wagon will prioritize electric driving, lolling quietly down the road until juice runs low or the right pedal gets pushed in anger—a clever icon on the digital cluster's power gauge marks the point where more throttle will engage the engine.
—Andrew Krok, Car and Driver, 29 Aug. 2023
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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
Middle English cliver, perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Danish dialect kløver alert, skillful
circa 1595, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing clever
Dictionary Entries Near clever
Cite this Entry
“Clever.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clever. Accessed 23 Sep. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on clever
Nglish: Translation of clever for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of clever for Arabic Speakers
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