as in neatly
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Recent Examples of cleverly
Free People Slow It Down Pullover This cozy, slouchy, drop-sleeve sweatshirt from Free People cleverly blends the vibe of a crewneck and a hoodie.
—
Annie Blackman, InStyle, 13 Jan. 2026
Fermin Lopez positions himself cleverly, and perhaps above all else, Robert Lewandowski plays as a No 10 as much as a No 9, dropping short when the opposition midfield gets dragged up, and constantly points the direction for team-mates’ passes.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Think stone pathways, textured wood, quiet courtyards and villas spaced cleverly so that none of them overlooks one another.
—Arion McNicoll, TheWeek, 12 Jan. 2026
Prospects for sustainable farm policy By using financial incentives cleverly, Congress has shifted farming practices over time in ways that lawmakers determined were in the public’s interest.
—Christopher Neubert, The Conversation, 7 Jan. 2026
Dezyfurni Mid Century Modern Bamboo Folding Desk This sleek and simplistic desk cleverly folds down when not needed, providing extra workspace in narrow or underutilized areas.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Jan. 2026
It’s crouched like a tiger about to spring, cleverly disguising itself as on the verge of a recession so its prey—presumably all the economic experts telling us we’re headed to economic hell in a handbasket—will be caught off-guard.
—William W Bedsworth, Oc Register, 4 Jan. 2026
McCall’s banner also appears to cleverly usurp and subvert the aesthetics of European heraldry—indeed, its elegant design would look utterly correct on a beret, a medal, or a heater shield.
—Alex Jovanovich, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
While American sitcoms have often portrayed parents as more conservative in comparison to their idealistic, liberal-minded children, Family Ties cleverly flipped the dynamic.
—Dylan Kickham, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
Annie Blackman, InStyle, 13 Jan. 2026
Fermin Lopez positions himself cleverly, and perhaps above all else, Robert Lewandowski plays as a No 10 as much as a No 9, dropping short when the opposition midfield gets dragged up, and constantly points the direction for team-mates’ passes.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Think stone pathways, textured wood, quiet courtyards and villas spaced cleverly so that none of them overlooks one another.
—Arion McNicoll, TheWeek, 12 Jan. 2026
Prospects for sustainable farm policy By using financial incentives cleverly, Congress has shifted farming practices over time in ways that lawmakers determined were in the public’s interest.
—Christopher Neubert, The Conversation, 7 Jan. 2026
Dezyfurni Mid Century Modern Bamboo Folding Desk This sleek and simplistic desk cleverly folds down when not needed, providing extra workspace in narrow or underutilized areas.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Jan. 2026
It’s crouched like a tiger about to spring, cleverly disguising itself as on the verge of a recession so its prey—presumably all the economic experts telling us we’re headed to economic hell in a handbasket—will be caught off-guard.
—William W Bedsworth, Oc Register, 4 Jan. 2026
McCall’s banner also appears to cleverly usurp and subvert the aesthetics of European heraldry—indeed, its elegant design would look utterly correct on a beret, a medal, or a heater shield.
—Alex Jovanovich, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
While American sitcoms have often portrayed parents as more conservative in comparison to their idealistic, liberal-minded children, Family Ties cleverly flipped the dynamic.
—Dylan Kickham, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cleverly
Adverb
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And not everything has to be tied up neatly in a bow.—
Emily Zemler,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Jan. 2026
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Not all issues fit neatly into the affordability frame.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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Stroud did not catch the snap cleanly, and Keeanu Benton knocked the ball out of his hand.—
January 12,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
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The two machines met cleanly underground (a procedure called a mid-tunnel docking), which is one of the hardest operations in underground civil engineering.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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Yet Göring dominates the movie thanks to Russell Crowe’s performance, somehow both indulgently big and dexterously subtle.—
Matt Zoller Seitz,
Vulture,
11 Dec. 2025
Adverb
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The store's flowers have become so synonymous that there's even a new book dedicated to them, aptly titled Beautiful Bouquets with Trader Joe's Flowers.—
Helena Madden,
Martha Stewart,
6 Jan. 2026
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As for the music, it’s aptly encoded with cosmic winks and shrugs — layers of paradoxical noises that feel messy and mannered, casual and serious, loose and tight, hungry and wise.—
Chris Richards,
Washington Post,
6 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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In June, Figure AI, a humanoid-robotics startup, released a sixty-minute video of its prototype humanoid nimbly sorting variously sized parcels, the kind of work that’s easy for humans but challenging for machines.—
James Vincent,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
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His priorities are echoed by most members of his party, who also nimbly follow him anytime his positions shift.—
Niall Stanage,
The Hill,
14 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cleverly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cleverly. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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