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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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrewd
Adjective
  • Some of it is also building on the brand that somebody really smart will take advantage of whatever opportunity is presented to them.
    Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 16 May 2025
  • 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
Adjective
  • Still, Levi isn’t bitter and blames the reporter for trying to use Gunn to publicly shame him.
    Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 22 May 2025
  • Where Silverman radically departs from Strindberg’s bitter play is in their portrait of Tekla, who is a spikily delightful self-starter instead of the idiot-monster of the original.
    Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • McLaren’s Piastri began in pole position and initially held off Verstappen before the Dutchman displayed all the brilliance, cunning and bravery that has propelled him to four world championships, holding off the brakes as long as possible and sliding around the outside on the first turn.
    Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 18 May 2025
  • Unfortunately, Porsha isn’t cunning enough for this to work.
    Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 12 May 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • Only this time, a tactically astute coach is required.
    Henry Flynn, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
Adjective
  • His equaliser against Leganes in March was a perfect example, with Bellingham sharpest to react when a shot cannoned off the crossbar.
    Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 22 May 2025
  • The first sign of an eruption at the volcano will be a sharp increase in the number of earthquakes around it, the post states.
    Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 21 May 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Shrewd.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrewd. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

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