whip-smart
adjective
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
Kerry PotterHe is also whip smart and tenacious, driven and efficient, typical of the breed so often attracted to academic medical research.—Lisa Belkin
Lisa BelkinExamples of whip-smart in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This news might come to many fans' surprise—but the sassy, whip-smart, and rebellious feminist Eloise Bridgerton does not stay single.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 31 Jan. 2026
Everybody's favorite rake takes center stage in the new episodes, with a whip-smart and challenging love-interest to match in Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), a lady of mysterious origin who finally makes the career bachelor think about settling down.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
The whip-smart, late-20th-century retelling of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew is one of the most epochal teen rom-coms.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Jan. 2026
Inspired by Sei Shonagon’s The Pillow Book and clocking in at a tight 130 pages, Little Labors is a wry, whip-smart, comfortingly strange tour through motherhood, babies, and the literary and cultural trappings of both.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whip-smart
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.
Christina Perrier, InStyle, 31 Jan. 2026
Everybody's favorite rake takes center stage in the new episodes, with a whip-smart and challenging love-interest to match in Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), a lady of mysterious origin who finally makes the career bachelor think about settling down.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
The whip-smart, late-20th-century retelling of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew is one of the most epochal teen rom-coms.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Jan. 2026
Inspired by Sei Shonagon’s The Pillow Book and clocking in at a tight 130 pages, Little Labors is a wry, whip-smart, comfortingly strange tour through motherhood, babies, and the literary and cultural trappings of both.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whip-smart
Cite this Entry
“Whip-smart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whip-smart. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
