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as in intelligent
having or showing quickness of mind a clever student figured out a trick to do the assignment faster

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective clever differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of clever are adroit, cunning, and ingenious. While all these words mean "having or showing practical wit or skill in contriving," clever stresses physical or mental quickness, deftness, or great aptitude.

a person clever with horses

When might adroit be a better fit than clever?

The words adroit and clever can be used in similar contexts, but adroit often implies a skillful use of expedients to achieve one's purpose in spite of difficulties.

an adroit negotiator

Where would cunning be a reasonable alternative to clever?

The meanings of cunning and clever largely overlap; however, cunning implies great skill in constructing or creating.

a filmmaker cunning in his use of special effects

When is it sensible to use ingenious instead of clever?

While the synonyms ingenious and clever are close in meaning, ingenious suggests the power of inventing or discovering a new way of accomplishing something.

an ingenious software engineer

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of clever With a simple but clever design, Somnifix is our next favorite mouth tape brand. Lauren Wingenroth, SELF, 4 Aug. 2025 Some of this production’s best moments involve the clever use of ’90s song snippets with apt lyrics that suit the story. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Aug. 2025 The result is a film that's clever, heartfelt, and very, very funny. Devan Coggan, EW.com, 3 Aug. 2025 The writing is so clever that, for this judge, it could have been penned by a professional pundit. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for clever
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clever
Adjective
  • Taste delicious wines, hunt for truffles, and visit innovative restaurants on this journey through a relatively compact area.
    Tia Lovisa Moreira, Travel + Leisure, 7 Aug. 2025
  • The program will also promote STEM-medicine integration, cost-effective education, and innovative academic partnerships.
    Christina Shaw, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The war in Ukraine is creating high pressure innovation in intelligent drones and swarms.
    Sabbir Rangwala, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
  • These are dynamic, intelligent, very witty women that can use their words in arguments.
    McKinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Köhler specializes in cunning, tonally surprising films about cross-cultural disconnection, and Gavagai is his most ambitious and expansive film yet—a pinpoint-accurate account of moral crises and social biases, modern and ancient, internal and external.
    Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
  • But as the supervisors tweaked the incentives, a new form of cunning arose.
    Craig S. Smith, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
Adjective
  • Ashlie Atkinson plays Mamie Fish, the wittiest member of late 19th-century high society on The Gilded Age, and also a real-life person from American history.
    Carson Blackwelder, People.com, 9 Aug. 2025
  • Britt Lower, Patricia Arquette, Christopher Walken, and John Turturro co-star in this incredibly smart and witty sci-fi drama.
    Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Entrées are just as innovative and might swing from lamb belly to halibut with sausage made of Royal Red shrimp, and inventive desserts like movie-popcorn-butter ice cream.
    Mike Jordan, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Aug. 2025
  • Numan’s career was a tumultuous one, defined in turns by inventive highs and long periods outside of the public eye.
    Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Impeccable service in an imaginative, detailed dining room, elevates it above the area's white-tablecloth restaurants.
    Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
  • Osmo offers many different games that come in puzzle form, as well as games that encourage drawing and foster imaginative play.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Welcome to the age of conversational mobility, where natural dialogue with your car is becoming as routine as checking the weather on a smart speaker.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Use of cellphones, smart watches and accessories is prohibited in the performance space.
    Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Donkey provided comic relief, pathos and friendship to Shrek, with the film praised for its humorous twist on fairy-tale tropes.
    Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 11 Aug. 2025
  • This humorous and heartfelt novel traces a decade in the couple’s life together — and Coralie’s own journey toward self-discovery.
    Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Clever.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clever. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

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