1
as in smart
having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment
her sharp-witted questions always cut right to the core of the issue
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in intelligent
having or showing quickness of mind
a TV game show that allows sharp-witted contestants to show their stuff
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 sharp-witted
Fox reclaims the notorious lady-in-waiting from centuries of scandal, revealing a sharp-witted, politically savvy woman caught in the tyrannical court of Henry VIII.
—
Phillipa Gregory, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
On Christmas Eve, Cliff (Strassner), a down-on-his luck comedian who can’t catch a break, chips a tooth, and suddenly finds himself in the late-night care of Didi (Liz Larsen), a sharp-witted, no-nonsense dentist.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
After Diablo Cody’s Oscar win for Best Original Screenplay for Juno (2007), the screenwriter followed up the breakout hit with this sharp-witted, gory take on female rage and power dynamics.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 6 Aug. 2025
Known primarily for his genre-defining work in music, Rocky’s latest turn as Yung Felon — a sharp-witted, ambitious rap artist — places him directly alongside screen legend Denzel Washington in some of the film’s most talked-about scenes.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 3 Sep. 2019
Phillipa Gregory, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
On Christmas Eve, Cliff (Strassner), a down-on-his luck comedian who can’t catch a break, chips a tooth, and suddenly finds himself in the late-night care of Didi (Liz Larsen), a sharp-witted, no-nonsense dentist.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
After Diablo Cody’s Oscar win for Best Original Screenplay for Juno (2007), the screenwriter followed up the breakout hit with this sharp-witted, gory take on female rage and power dynamics.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 6 Aug. 2025
Known primarily for his genre-defining work in music, Rocky’s latest turn as Yung Felon — a sharp-witted, ambitious rap artist — places him directly alongside screen legend Denzel Washington in some of the film’s most talked-about scenes.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sharp-witted
Adjective
-
Most successful forgers were smart and creative people, and many of their forgeries were consummate, even ingenious.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
16 Oct. 2025
-
What to know about the 'smart wall' at the Arizona border.—
Lorenzino Estrada,
AZCentral.com,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The latest entry, 2023's Galactic Civilizations IV, has the most sophisticated AI of the lot, making your allies and enemies feel more real, and more intelligent.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
14 Oct. 2025
-
That kind of emotionally intelligent way of working was not seen as one of the old Victoria’s Secret’s strong points.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Both coaches also say the other is very astute as far as in-game adjustments, and the players certainly agree.—
Vic Tafur,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
-
The odd, sometimes astute connections and ideas her seemingly new brain forms are not entirely unpleasant.—
Bekah Waalkes,
The Atlantic,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The magnetic phone holder was so simple yet so clever.—
Anita Katee,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Through draping, Yin created volumes and shapes as if they were achieved via padding, but in fact were just clever patterns.—
Denni Hu,
Footwear News,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
New York felt comfortable enough to pick up Thibodeaux’s fifth-year option, but keeping him around in the long term with Abdul Carter and Brian Burns probably isn’t the shrewdest.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Oct. 2025
-
The film had transformed from the messy, illogical version I’d first seen into a hilarious, shrewd, contemplative work of art.—
Susan Orlean,
New Yorker,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
His positioning and reading of the game remain sharp, his footwork is clean, and his reactions are quick.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Wetkiss Knee-High Boots Lorelai's shoe collection is as memorable as her quick wit, and nothing says cool-weather quite like a pair of boots.—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Robert, who wrote the screenplay, is a professor — a brilliant guy, but writing isn’t his day job.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Your brothers, with bouncy locks and brilliant teeth, stripped down and jumped in the spring.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Elementary school students spent more time in front of the TV than in school, viewing thousands of commercials for sugary cereals, candies and fast foods every year.—
Alice Callahan,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Jinga further noted that as Dexory continues to improve the technology that underlies DexoryView, existing customers will benefit from the upgrades and new customers will see faster deployments and quicker return on investment.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sharp-witted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sharp-witted. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share