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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 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
  • 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
Adjective
  • Together, these agents represent an intelligent, adaptive defense system comparable to the collaboration of a human security operations center, but with the speed and scale of machines.
    Perry Carpenter, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • And his evocation of the specific political environment of pre-war Algeria is an intelligent contemporary expansion on the novel.
    Jessica Kiang, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • Dan had done the right thing, but not the strategic or politically astute thing.
    Carol Geffner, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • This can be read as a clever knock on some of the mockumentary-format comedies that followed The Office, often — ahem, Modern Family — failing to provide any actual reason for the doc-style shooting and talking-head interviews.
    Jesse Hassenger, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
  • But poems are cleverer than the people who write them.
    Leila Chatti September 5, Literary Hub, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
Adjective
  • Here is a quick tour through recent vision tech, with examples of prescription eyeglasses tailored to specific uses.
    Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Fessceruna 3-Piece Loungewear Set Fessceruna’s three-piece loungewear set is perfect for cozying up at home on the couch, running quick errands, and enduring long travel days.
    Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Herbert’s brilliant response How would Herbert respond to the playoff loss to the Houston Texans last season, in one of the worst games of his career?
    Jesse Newell, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
  • The leaves turn a vivid, brilliant scarlet-red in the fall.
    Chris McKeown, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • This is how long each of the players to score 100 goals in the competition took to reach their centuries, with Messi (123 games) just edging out Lewandowski (125) as the fastest of the trio.
    Will Jeanes, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Meanwhile, his day job may be entering a new phase as fledgling companies leave the nest and head off on their own — faster than new ones launch.
    Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sharp-witted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sharp-witted. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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