variants or less commonly whip smart or whipsmart
: very smart or clever
whip-smart dialogue
But underestimate or patronise Jessica at your peril. She's whip-smart, ultra-ambitious and brutally honest.Kerry Potter
He is also whip smart and tenacious, driven and efficient, typical of the breed so often attracted to academic medical research.Lisa Belkin

Examples of whip-smart in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At the top of that list was Wheeler, a whip-smart, hilarious, genial country boy from Belmont, N.C., who was a walking encyclopedia both of NASCAR knowledge and of what made race fans tick. Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 21 Aug. 2025 There, he's forced back into a harsh dynamic of grappling with his mother Bev's drug addiction and the memories of the whip-smart grandmother who raised him. Mekishana Pierre, EW.com, 13 Aug. 2025 As the con grows more complicated, new players enter the mix—Julia (Ireland), Pete’s sharp and suspicious cousin; Carly (Barer), Pete’s whip-smart teenage sister; and Taylor (Shane McRae), a hot-headed local cop. Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025 Corenswet’s funny, scrappy rapport with Rachel Brosnahan’s whip-smart Lois Lane — possibly the sharpest and most captivating interpretation of the ace Daily Planet reporter since Margot Kidder — makes their every scene together a delight. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for whip-smart

Word History

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of whip-smart was in 1942

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Cite this Entry

“Whip-smart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whip-smart. Accessed 30 Aug. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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