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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Bold, funny, and incredibly clever—the perfect encapsulation of Schulman’s writing.—Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 11 Dec. 2025 Billy meets love interest Pam (Modine) working at Ida’s Trinkett Tree, a local store and clever twist on Ira’s Toy Store — where the first Billy was employed in the 1984 movie.—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 Dec. 2025 The players expected a Hammon special; their coach is known for drawing up clever plays involving misdirection and deceit.—Sean Gregory, Time, 10 Dec. 2025 These slice-and-bake cookies are no less pretty than clever cutouts thanks to pecan halves and sanding sugar in holiday colors.—Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 10 Dec. 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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