sharp-witted

adjective

ˈshärp-ˈwi-təd How to pronounce sharp-witted (audio)
Definition of sharp-wittednext
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 Curtis is set to step into the role of Jessica Fletcher, the sharp-witted mystery writer and amateur detective famously portrayed by Angela Lansbury in the original television series. — Staff Author, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026 They’ll be joined by Downton Abbey‘s Julian Ovenden as the suave, sophisticated Dexter Haven, Carly Mercedes Dyer (Anything Goes) as the sharp-witted Liz, Nigel Lindsay (Mobland) as Uncle Willie, and Malcolm Sinclair (Pie in the Sky) as Seth Lord. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 8 Apr. 2026 Before Uncle Sam, other figures represented the young country, including Yankee Doodle, once a British insult aimed at American colonials, and Brother Jonathan, a sharp-witted embodiment of American common sense. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Mar. 2026 Abbington plays Eve, a sharp-witted, slightly off-kilter actress whose obsession with the case pulls her into the investigative orbit and complicates the group dynamic. — Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 16 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sharp-witted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sharp-witted
  1. smart
  2. intelligent
  3. astute
  4. clever
  5. shrewd
  6. quick
  7. brilliant
  8. fast
Adjective
  • Buffalo’s pipeline remains robust, with a good mix of smart, mobile defensemen and dynamic forwards.
    — Corey Pronman, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The leader's role, then, is less about being the smartest person in the room than about making the room smarter.
    — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of smart
Adjective
  • That so many otherwise intelligent people missed the warning signs is a testament to the power of his message and the force of his charisma.
    — James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026
  • For example, Anderson has one client who’s 35, good looking and tall and in finance, who also wants a gorgeous and intelligent girl.
    — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of intelligent
Adjective
  • There is too much going on here for this novel to work, but Andersen is an uncommon writer, a skilled historical novelist as well as an astute cultural observer and historical interpreter.
    — John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Brown is clearly an empath who can read people in an astute way.
    — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of astute
Adjective
  • The screenplay by Samy Burch (Oscar-nominated for May December) features one clever gag after another, such as Road Runner, making a surprise appearance in the courtroom, delivering his testimony via beeps.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Rather than requiring you to completely detach the blades or assemble the rotor head using screws or tools in the field, the R1 uses a clever flexible four-blade geometry.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of clever
Adjective
  • There’s pathos, and shrewd irony, underpinning his performance.
    — Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Through the process, the girls not only become shrewd salespeople but gain confidence and sometimes even stand up to better the rights of their troops.
    — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of shrewd
Adjective
  • Staff in the South Stand offices would spend the winter months wearing jackets due to a broken boiler and, according to Bruce, only the players quickest to the dressing-room showers could expect to enjoy hot water after games.
    — Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • This is excellent energy for captions, pitches, texts, brainstorming, flirting, or turning a quick idea into something shareable.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of quick
Adjective
  • The opening drive called by Webb was a brilliant blur — a six-play, 69-yard march that wrapped up in a little more than three minutes.
    — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Hofstadter is brilliant at analyzing types that feel quite familiar to us today—the crusading urban progressive, the small-town conspiracy theorist.
    — Emma Sarappo, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of brilliant
Adjective
  • Edstrom is big and fast, competes hard, and creates a lot of offense in the high-percentage areas.
    — Corey Pronman, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • These developments prompted more cries of outrage, including one from the Democratic senator Mark Warner, who has introduced a bill that would ban social-media companies from selling fast access to accounts of government employees.
    — John Cassidy, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of fast

Browse Nearby Words

sharp-tongued
sharp-witted
shatter
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sharp-witted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sharp-witted. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on sharp-witted

Nglish: Translation of sharp-witted for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of divulge

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All