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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Finally, her writing is a weekly source of delight—so clever, fun, informative, and uplifting.—Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2025 These clever yet bizarre gadgets are both fun and oddly useful.—Nora Colomer
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2025 Later, of course, movies based on the series starring Tom Cruise became blockbusters, but were never as clever as the original television series, relying more on outlandish stunts and special effects.—Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025 Zoe’s clever but convoluted plan takes the crew through New Jersey and its glorious highways.—Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 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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