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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
For the past 35 years, Colleen Murphy has been in the front ranks of protecting our right to know, many of those years as the shrewd general of the ragtag good government army.
—
Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2026
The dispensing of moral instruction is an often tiresome staple of child-friendly animation, but the lessons that Mabel must learn—to be less impulsive, less strident, and more willing to see the good in others—also turn out to be shrewd organizational and negotiating tactics.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
While lacking Khomeini’s theological standing, Khamenei proved to be politically shrewd.
—Abbas Al Lawati, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026
Conspiracy theorists, right-wing extremists, and all sorts of eccentric people arrive in the community, whose founder and leader is a shrewd German man.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shrewd
Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2026
The dispensing of moral instruction is an often tiresome staple of child-friendly animation, but the lessons that Mabel must learn—to be less impulsive, less strident, and more willing to see the good in others—also turn out to be shrewd organizational and negotiating tactics.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
While lacking Khomeini’s theological standing, Khamenei proved to be politically shrewd.
—Abbas Al Lawati, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026
Conspiracy theorists, right-wing extremists, and all sorts of eccentric people arrive in the community, whose founder and leader is a shrewd German man.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shrewd
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrewd
Adjective
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The Mets, Phillies and Braves are smart, draft well, develop players and spend big.—
Greg Cote
Updated March 27,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
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Despite standing at 6-foot-2 and playing a game more suited for a forward six inches taller, Payton entered Friday night having made 16 consecutive field goals, the vast majority of them being opportunistic dunks and layups off smart cuts and putbacks.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Lang plays the antagonist, a bitter Alpine waiter whose family recipe for Grappa involves alchemy and witchcraft.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
23 Mar. 2026
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It's been three months since a ceasefire ended bitter border fighting between Cambodia and Thailand, but signs of combat are cut deep in this 11th-century temple atop a 525-meter (1,722-foot) cliff in the Dangrek Mountain range.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In state media comedy shows, jokes about Putin are told from time to time, but they are used to bolster his image as a powerful, cunning leader, and hold up Russia as a great country.—
Neringa Klumbytė,
The Conversation,
4 Mar. 2026
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These ambitious, cunning, and often amoral Cold War operatives were usually marginal or even inconsequential figures at home.—
Alfred McCoy,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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This hotel offers good deals for its prime location on Saint-Paul, easily Old Montreal's nicest shopping street, so the guests are astute travelers with taste.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 2026
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When asked by the Miami Herald about potential conflicts of interest and transparency concerns between her private companies and the charter school contracts she’s received, Erika Donalds described herself as simply an astute businesswoman.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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City-level data show sharper declines from certain European hubs.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
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Poverty has fallen too, despite Milei’s sharp cut to subsidies that sparked mass protests.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Marvin’s a cute little mushroom living in a cozy home beneath a mighty cedar tree.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
28 Mar. 2026
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Dry off and look cute at the same time with Katydid beach or gym towels.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Australia led the charge on banning children under 16 from social media platforms such as Instagram and Tiktok, and now much of the Asia-Pacific region — with its young, tech-savvy markets — is eager to follow.—
Catherine Thorbecke,
Twin Cities,
28 Mar. 2026
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Deal-savvy streamers can take advantage of the Apple TV and Peacock bundle deal and save over 30 percent.—
Erin Lassner,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Much like the days getting longer and the air less biting, a sure harbinger that spring is coming is the 33rd annual West Suburban Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown Naperville.—
Annie Alleman,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
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As the nation bonded as one over the past two weeks biting nails, screaming at wins, wincing at crashes and choking up at all the beautiful moments of Olympic competition, another group of athletes were – and still are – out honing their multi-level championship skills.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shrewd.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrewd. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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