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
Less than eight months after the Commune’s bloody repression, the novelist and shrewd social chronicler Edmond de Goncourt would note in his diary the return of a traffic jam of fashionable carriages outside 7 Rue de la Paix.
—
Leslie Camhi, New Yorker, 25 July 2025
The president has shown himself to be a shrewd and often times calculating political player, and having Powell around as a punching bag could be useful as crucial mid-term elections approach.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 19 July 2025
The Republicans’ shrewd assault on transgender rights put the Democrats on the defensive and effectively camouflaged the existential menace of Project 2025.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 18 July 2025
Though plot details for Wake Up Dead Man remain tightly under wraps, audiences can expect the return of the shrewd detective parsing through yet another murderous mystery.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shrewd
Leslie Camhi, New Yorker, 25 July 2025
The president has shown himself to be a shrewd and often times calculating political player, and having Powell around as a punching bag could be useful as crucial mid-term elections approach.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 19 July 2025
The Republicans’ shrewd assault on transgender rights put the Democrats on the defensive and effectively camouflaged the existential menace of Project 2025.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 18 July 2025
Though plot details for Wake Up Dead Man remain tightly under wraps, audiences can expect the return of the shrewd detective parsing through yet another murderous mystery.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shrewd
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrewd
Adjective
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Use of cellphones, smart watches and accessories is prohibited in the performance space.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Welcome to the age of conversational mobility, where natural dialogue with your car is becoming as routine as checking the weather on a smart speaker.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Instead, Holland’s bitter ex-spy Harcourt and Brooks’ empathetic Adebayo are mostly on Chris’ side from the jump this season.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
15 Aug. 2025
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Drag slider compare photos Before After Bakhmut After months of bitter clashes since July 2022, the Donetsk city of Bakhmut, north of Avdiivka, fell to Russian forces in May 2023.—
Ellie Cook
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Köhler specializes in cunning, tonally surprising films about cross-cultural disconnection, and Gavagai is his most ambitious and expansive film yet—a pinpoint-accurate account of moral crises and social biases, modern and ancient, internal and external.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
5 Aug. 2025
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But as the supervisors tweaked the incentives, a new form of cunning arose.—
Craig S. Smith,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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An astute judge of talent, Reid also suggested John Bonham fill the drum chair in Led Zeppelin.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Aug. 2025
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Andy, in his most astute moment of the episode, points out that Jax does have control.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The Republican president has said crime in the city was at emergency levels that only such federal intervention could fix — even as District of Columbia leaders pointed to statistics showing violent crime at a 30-year low after a sharp rise two years ago.—
Lindsay Whitehurst,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Aug. 2025
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For, in a market where everyone’s shouting, the sharpest ideas, delivered clearly, consistently and credibly, are what cut through.—
Henry McIntosh,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The trailers for the episode dropped not only the announcement of Swift's latest album, but also a cute moment between the celeb couple.—
Joyce Orlando,
Nashville Tennessean,
12 Aug. 2025
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The brand also offers the pillow in a smaller base model and several cute kids’ pillows that double as plushies.—
Clint Davis,
People.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Our team of savvy editors independently handpicks all recommendations.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Why The Stakes Are Rising Theft rings are becoming more organized and technologically savvy.—
Freddy Kuo,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The socially biting comedy comes out at a time of political unrest in Argentina under Javier Milei’s presidency, a government marked by several funding cuts to culture.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
6 Aug. 2025
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No one mentioned the annoying swarms of tiny biting midges that plague Scotland’s west coast in the summer.—
Angus MacKinnon,
CNN Money,
3 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shrewd.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrewd. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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