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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As a songwriter Hunter’s also in the classic mold; his songs tend to run a tight three minutes and hit you with a good hook or a clever line upfront.—Brett Milano, Boston Herald, 27 Feb. 2026 This may look like nothing much is happening as clever Mercury goes retrograde in your 8th House of Mutual Bills, inviting you to review agreements and analyze trust.—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2026 Still, scientists have devised clever ways to investigate how sleep and dreams can affect us.—Veronique Greenwood, Time, 26 Feb. 2026 As clever as the king, Penelope sits at her loom each night unraveling the day’s work.—Manuel Mendoza, Dallas Morning News, 26 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for clever
Word History
Etymology
Middle English cliver, perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Danish dialect kløver alert, skillful