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as in bitter
causing intense discomfort to one's skin she pulled her coat tighter against the shrewd breeze whipping down the alley

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective shrewd differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of shrewd are astute, perspicacious, and sagacious. While all these words mean "acute in perception and sound in judgment," shrewd stresses practical, hardheaded cleverness and judgment.

a shrewd judge of character

When is it sensible to use astute instead of shrewd?

While the synonyms astute and shrewd are close in meaning, astute suggests shrewdness, perspicacity, and diplomatic skill.

an astute player of party politics

When could perspicacious be used to replace shrewd?

The meanings of perspicacious and shrewd largely overlap; however, perspicacious implies unusual power to see through and understand what is puzzling or hidden.

a perspicacious counselor saw through the child's facade

When might sagacious be a better fit than shrewd?

While in some cases nearly identical to shrewd, sagacious suggests wisdom, penetration, and farsightedness.

sagacious investors got in on the ground floor

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 shrewd Ever the shrewd businessman and strange inventive mind, the funeral parlour owner went about redecorating the back storage room in the Old West style, adding wagon wheels and cactus plants, installing a set of swinging saloon doors at the threshold. Hazlitt, 18 June 2025 The Thunder’s championship run was the product of shrewd front office decisions, patient development, and a little bit of luck. Okla Jones, Essence, 23 June 2025 Were these the shrewd moves of a wunderkind on the doorstep of a historic election upset? Eric Lach, New Yorker, 23 June 2025 The Buss dynasty has reigned over the NBA since 1979, when Jerry Buss bought the Los Angeles Lakers in what has proved to be one of the shrewdest deals in sports history. Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 19 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for shrewd
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrewd
Adjective
  • The lead character is the prince, who doesn’t want to be on the throne and is not really that smart.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 1 July 2025
  • One of the challenges comes from a fundamental problem in how smart city initiatives are executing the ever-changing digital movement.
    Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • There were no bitter comments blaming liberal forest-management policies.
    Nick Allardice, Time, 10 July 2025
  • Public records show the home belongs to former Councilman Bill Sanders, who ran for mayor and lost last year after a years-long history of bitter clashes with other city officials and staff.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 9 July 2025
Adjective
  • The Residence starred Uzo Aduba as quirky detective Cordelia Cupp, who uses her cunning intellect and obsessive bird-watching abilities to crack otherwise unsolvable cases.
    Andy Swift, TVLine, 2 July 2025
  • As for steps that could be taken in the nineteenth century, Lyell managed to invent a cunning way to determine the relative age of geological strata.
    Lewis Hyde, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
Adjective
  • As many of our astute commenters guessed, between the peeing on himself and the trouble getting it up, Harry Goldenblatt has prostate cancer.
    Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 27 June 2025
  • An astute and compassionate portrait of sisterhood, flaws and all, the dynamics between the characters are sublime.
    Fran Littlewood June 24, Literary Hub, 24 June 2025
Adjective
  • Elevate the Rugby Shirt With Leggings and Loafers An oversized rugby shirt paired with slim pants and a turtleneck makes for a sharp, unexpected combination.
    Christina Holevas, Vogue, 9 July 2025
  • The screen is bright and sharp enough, the speakers aren't bad, and the cameras are 1080p.
    Simon Hill, Wired News, 9 July 2025
Adjective
  • July 6, 2025: Rodman watching Shelton’s match at Wimbledon is so cute the ESPN announcer literally giggles trying to talk about them.
    Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 7 July 2025
  • Oh, and the best pairs of the bunch are also plain old comfy (and cute, in a gorpcore kind of way).
    Sara Coughlin, SELF, 7 July 2025
Adjective
  • The Hershey Company, known as a confectionery giant, is transforming itself into a snacking powerhouse through savvy acquisitions, bold brand building, and strategic retail partnerships.
    Shelley E. Kohan, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
  • In addition to lucrative NBA contracts from his time playing with the Cavaliers, Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers, off the court, the father of three has displayed his business savvy as an entrepreneur.
    Diane J. Cho, People.com, 28 June 2025
Adjective
  • Attendees in The Hague have framed the defense spending pledge and snappy communique as a response to the threat of Russia, not just the biting condemnation of the U.S. president.
    Ellie Cook — reporting from The Hague, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
  • As always, Danan’s voice is hysterically funny, her characters’ exhibiting a wry and biting sense of humor.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 19 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Shrewd.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrewd. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.

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