as in skills
knowledge gained by actually doing or living through something
she's an excellent scholar of political science, but lacks the kind of savvy needed to run for public office
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in smart
having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment
a particularly savvy investor, he was among the first to see the potential in tech stocks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to know
to have a clear idea of
the man growled, "Don't ever date my daughter again—you savvy?"
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of savvy
Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 30 July 2025
The Post-Flight ’Fit The key to looking fresh upon arrival lies in sartorial savvy; that is, choosing an outfit that’s optimally designed for a day of sight-seeing and lazing on sunny terraces, but in actuality is comprised of surprisingly comfortable staples.
—Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 17 July 2025
Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 1 Sep. 2025
Internet-savvy parties, such as the Democratic Party for the People and Sanseito, outperformed the rest online.
—Mireya Solís, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
Jon Freeman, Rolling Stone, 21 Jan. 2023
Consider the sage and savvy Cruz a $1 million guardrail for Tatis, a $340 million investment.
—Bryce Millercolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for savvy
Noun
Competitors must balance brute strength with political savvy, knowing when to make moves and when to lay low, all while living in close quarters with people actively plotting for their elimination.
—Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 30 July 2025
The Post-Flight ’Fit The key to looking fresh upon arrival lies in sartorial savvy; that is, choosing an outfit that’s optimally designed for a day of sight-seeing and lazing on sunny terraces, but in actuality is comprised of surprisingly comfortable staples.
—Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 17 July 2025
Adjective
Pinspark Half-zip Sweater Set A few savvy shoppers have found a $38 alternative to the viral, over-$200 Spanx AirEssentials sweatsuit loved by the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow and Oprah.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 1 Sep. 2025
Internet-savvy parties, such as the Democratic Party for the People and Sanseito, outperformed the rest online.
—Mireya Solís, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
But then, that’s Hardy in a nutshell: capable of writing the big hits for radio, obstinate enough to do something completely unexpected, and savvy enough to find the throughline for it all.
—Jon Freeman, Rolling Stone, 21 Jan. 2023
Consider the sage and savvy Cruz a $1 million guardrail for Tatis, a $340 million investment.
—Bryce Millercolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for savvy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for savvy
Noun
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That neutralized the advantage Sabalenka would have expected, and forced Sabalenka into first hitting more shots than she’s used to, and then going for too-small margins because of Pegula’s defensive skills once the rallies started.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
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The president told The Scott Jennings Radio Show that the concession resulted from his hard-nosed negotiating skills.—
Jamie McIntyre,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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And that's not even counting any of the wholly original new shows this fall that are smart, gripping and exciting.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Elena Linari is a smart defensive signing, too.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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He was reportedly known to law enforcement to wear a shoulder holster on the left side of his body.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Sep. 2025
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In late March, a 3-year-old Leavenworth boy known as EJ fell asleep for the night on a neighbor’s couch after eating grapes.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Los Angeles experience consists mostly of such tangential connections and brief grazes of luxury.—
Joe Joyce,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
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The Abu Dhabi experience The new flight lands at Zayed International Airport, which offers a variety of unique experiences for customers.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Whereas the former revealed the many ways in which the responsibility for keeping families and communities together falls on women (an observation that informs the new series as well), Ingelsby’s latest makes an astute study of guilt, revenge, and forgiveness.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
28 Aug. 2025
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Dan had done the right thing, but not the strategic or politically astute thing.—
Carol Geffner,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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These measurements are fundamental to understanding how greenhouse gas emissions relate to rising temperatures, simultaneously contributing to scientific research and informing policymakers of compliance with environmental regulations.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
6 Sep. 2025
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If the marathons of New York and London showcase splendour and establishment and magnificence and size and place, then the Great North Run offers something else; to complete it, to witness it, is to understand its pull.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Delivered to a high standard by Thales’s international team, in close collaboration with industry partners, this achievement showcases the quality, openness, and technical expertise that have defined Thales’s approach to the Type 31 delivery – earning praise from the Royal Navy.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Sep. 2025
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But Kennedy has already propagated an insidious revolution within the agencies under his control, using a playbook familiar to illiberal leaders—culling expertise, silencing critics, and weaponizing administrative procedure to grant a veneer of legitimacy to his actions.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Shrek 2 took everything audiences loved about the first movie and amplified it, from the absurdist takes on fairy tale legends to its shrewd deployment of pop culture iconography.—
Skyler Trepel September 1,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2025
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Boston is a first-class organization that scouts well, drafts well and always manages to make shrewd trades and financial decisions, but the Celtics' road back to the finals just became exceedingly more difficult.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Savvy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/savvy. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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