too clever by half

phrase

chiefly British, informal

: clever in a way that is annoying or that causes problems

an arrogant politician who is too clever by half

a complex computer program that is too clever by half

Examples of too clever by half in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

If this sounds too clever by half, there should be no doubt that Ramaswamy is very clever. — The Editors, National Review, 23 Aug. 2023

Going to the trough again, for far more, for operating expenses and under a rule suspension targeted to help destitute museums was not only too clever by half. — Brian T. Allen, National Review, 19 Feb. 2022

Rhymes for too clever by half

• photomicrograph
• autograph
• biograph
• cenotaph
• chronograph
• epigraph
• epitaph
• hodograph
• holograph
• hydrograph
• lithograph
• micrograph