1
as in smart
having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment
a shrewd used car dealer who knew how to make the best possible deal shrewd investments that paid off big
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2
as in bitter
causing intense discomfort to one's skin
she pulled her coat tighter against the shrewd breeze whipping down the alley
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3
as in cunning
clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means
a shrewd operator in the real estate game, she made every buyer think they were getting the deal of the century
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Recent Examples of shrewd
Getting Jones in Round 5 in 2022 was a shrewd move, but the Bears need more Day 2 and Day 3 hits.
—
Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 22 Apr. 2025
Their choice already looks shrewd, with Smith producing a 1.54 ERA in his first two starts.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
John Malone, the shrewd and far-sighted media mogul and key ally of David Zaslav, has decided not to stand for re-election to Warner Bros. Discovery‘s board of directors.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 11 Apr. 2025
Unlike Malone’s many shrewd moves over decades in the media business, however, the WBD merger hasn’t yet borne fruit.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shrewd
Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 22 Apr. 2025
Their choice already looks shrewd, with Smith producing a 1.54 ERA in his first two starts.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
John Malone, the shrewd and far-sighted media mogul and key ally of David Zaslav, has decided not to stand for re-election to Warner Bros. Discovery‘s board of directors.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 11 Apr. 2025
Unlike Malone’s many shrewd moves over decades in the media business, however, the WBD merger hasn’t yet borne fruit.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shrewd
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrewd
Adjective
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In the majors, Goldschmidt said, manager Kirk Gibson and coach Eric Young Sr. — who combined for more than 700 steals in their careers — shared the emphasis on smart base running.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
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So far, there’s no word on price or availability for the earbuds or smart ring.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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The harmony of flavors—including sweet tomatoes and cider, bitter radishes, spicy greens, umami Parmesan, and salty finishing flakes—kept me going back for bite after bite.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 May 2025
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So now he is compelled to marry Leah as well, forcing the sisters into a bitter rivalry for Jacob’s love.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
9 May 2025
Adjective
-
In real life, most would-be Proud Boys don’t have cunning, progressive housemates who will throw away their gun parts.—
Amy Weiss-Meyer,
The Atlantic,
8 May 2025
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Premiering in January 2023, The Traitors has gone on to widespread acclaim, even winning Emmys for Outstanding Reality Competition Program and Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program (Alan Cumming on cunning form).—
Griff Griffin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 May 2025
Adjective
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The directors’ astute perception of (mis)communication between the sexes stems from her experience growing up with her parents, who stayed together for societal and financial reasons.—
Blake Simons,
IndieWire,
17 May 2025
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Only this time, a tactically astute coach is required.—
Henry Flynn,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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Utilizing exceptional command and a sharp plan of attack, Fedde dominated his former team in his first appearance back at Nationals Park since his final season with Washington in 2022.—
Katie Woo,
New York Times,
10 May 2025
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The bearish or negative divergence has been closely monitored, as in my A/D line analysis, a drop below support at line c would have forecasted a sharper decline.—
Tom Aspray,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2025
Adjective
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She has been married twice, marrying director Chris Calkins in 2009. 08 of 09 Woody Harrelson as Woody Boyd Woody Harrelson's Woody Boyd joined Cheers in season 4 as a not-so-bright but very cute bartender.—
Kate Hogan,
People.com,
20 May 2025
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There are some funny bits including Kenan Thompson’s moment and joking about Sherman getting fired, but the most apt word to describe this monologue is cute.—
Rosa Escandon,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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They have been elevated by some savvy architects, undercut by assorted chain operations and frequently left for dead by the side of the road.—
Christopher Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2025
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But the Bulls will have to be savvy in their selection process to repeat that feat this summer.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2025
Adjective
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Katy Perry is continuing to catch strays, this time from the most biting demographic of all: the pop girlie fandom.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
2 May 2025
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During the taping of a recent Netflix special, Kyle Dunnigan impersonated Musk onstage in a biting parody—the audience laughed, but Rogan sat mostly silent, avoiding eye contact, appearing unwilling to signal disloyalty to the tech mogul.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shrewd.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrewd. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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