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
Twice, its shrewd business practices caught federal regulators’ attention.
—
Kenny Jacoby, USA Today, 7 May 2026
Ted Turner, who died on April 6, 2026, was bright, shrewd and, most of all, lucky.
—Michael J. Socolow, The Conversation, 7 May 2026
The Bulls’ decision to snatch him up after only one year with the Hawks is seen as similarly shrewd.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
But at this point, Arsenal were already at risk of being swallowed whole by the pure energy of Total Lyon, the industrial swagger complex that Kang has spent time, money and three years of shrewd squad and brand planning to reach the final.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 3 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for shrewd
Kenny Jacoby, USA Today, 7 May 2026
Ted Turner, who died on April 6, 2026, was bright, shrewd and, most of all, lucky.
—Michael J. Socolow, The Conversation, 7 May 2026
The Bulls’ decision to snatch him up after only one year with the Hawks is seen as similarly shrewd.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
But at this point, Arsenal were already at risk of being swallowed whole by the pure energy of Total Lyon, the industrial swagger complex that Kang has spent time, money and three years of shrewd squad and brand planning to reach the final.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 3 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for shrewd
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrewd
Adjective
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There is no analogous player in this squad to Grimaldo; Marc Cucurella, the man who has displaced him in the Spain team, is positionally smart but a more effective off-ball runner than on-ball playmaker.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
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The clients who will be best positioned are the ones making smart decisions today — not the ones reacting to a tax bill six months from now.—
Greg Raiff,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
Adjective
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Sara Duterte and President Marcos were running mates in a whirlwind alliance in the 2022 election but have since had a bitter falling out.—
Jim Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
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Another defeat and the same bitter taste of Thunder second-half dominance.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
10 May 2026
Adjective
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There’s arguably no one better placed to collaborate with VFX artists on a motion-capture performance than Serkis, who’s delivered innocence, cunning, cruelty, longing, and kindness in roles that run from Golum to Caesar to King Kong himself.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
4 May 2026
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As Michael moves into solo stardom and makes cunning business moves, the film captures how his seemingly naive idealism was also a form of ambition.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This astute portrait connects Jim Crow-era America and pre-World War II Europe, and is as fitting a portrait of the current sociopolitical moment.—
Time,
Time,
12 May 2026
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So to overturn the deficit and produce a performance, which was one of their best, most tactically and physically astute of the season, felt significant.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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Double-bass glissandos hint at hands grubbing in the earth, while abrupt moments of concerted action—notably, an accordion wheezing out an F-sharp-minor chord—suggest flickering signals and transmissions.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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The summit will take place amid a sharp sell-off in global bond markets.—
Hugh Leask,Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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Walter, who had left the Progressive Labor Party, didn’t preach Marxism to his son, but Riley embraced a radical-left viewpoint on his own, after tagging along with some cute older girls who were participating in a cannery workers’ strike.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
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He's described as being cute, with chin-length dark hair, dimples and a diamond stud in one ear.—
Jennifer McClellan,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
Adjective
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But Saints, the savvy former NXT and North American champion, got his opportunity to slow down the match and take it to Hayes.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
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Japanese newcomer Rimu Kuwaki makes his debut as a savvy robot child surrogate in auteur Hirokazu Koreeda‘s Sheep in the Box, premiering in Competition today at the Cannes Film Festival.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
16 May 2026
Adjective
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Netflix’s big comedy bet might be the Dan Levy–Rachel Sennott co-creation Big Mistakes; the biting, farcical series about adult siblings who get caught up in the drug business plays like Weeds crossed with The Other Two.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
2 May 2026
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The tracks are more vulnerable, biting, and self-aware than ever, and in some cases, feature lyrics pulled right out of Hjelt’s diary.—
Charisma Madarang,
Rolling Stone,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shrewd.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrewd. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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