1
as in cute
making light of something usually regarded as serious or sacred
a talk show host who's known for his quick quips and smart-aleck observations on current events
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sarcastic
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings
a smart-aleck reply that was met with a slap in the face
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also smart alec
as in wise guy
a person who likes to show off in a clever but annoying way
some smart aleck in the audience kept shouting clever insults at the nervous speaker
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Recent Examples of smart-aleck
Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
This fuzzy, snout-nosed, smart aleck extraterrestrial whose name was Gordon Shumway crashed in the suburban garage of the Tanner family in California after escaping from the doomed planet of Melmac, which was destroyed by nuclear war.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Newton scored and so did backcourt mate Cam Spencer, that different style of smart aleck, who had 20.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 13 June 2024
Perry portrayed sweet, sarcastic smart aleck Chandler Bing for 10 seasons on Friends, garnering an Emmy nomination.
—EW.com, 29 Oct. 2023
In this series launch, Billingham unveils a brash — and battered — smart aleck protagonist.
—Erin Douglass, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Aug. 2023
With a smart aleck’s wit and a knack for clear-eyed lyrics, the Brooklyn singer is a sympathetic narrator.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 5 May 2023
In real life, however, Mr. Jaffee was the opposite of a smart aleck: a genteel, unassuming man whose in-person humor was delivered with a wink, not a cudgel.
—Neil Genzlinger, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2023
Noun
And here's the good news for Love: As a counter to address the smart aleck defenses, offenses started running the ball more against units deployed to defend the pass.
—Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
This fuzzy, snout-nosed, smart aleck extraterrestrial whose name was Gordon Shumway crashed in the suburban garage of the Tanner family in California after escaping from the doomed planet of Melmac, which was destroyed by nuclear war.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Newton scored and so did backcourt mate Cam Spencer, that different style of smart aleck, who had 20.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 13 June 2024
Perry portrayed sweet, sarcastic smart aleck Chandler Bing for 10 seasons on Friends, garnering an Emmy nomination.
—EW.com, 29 Oct. 2023
In this series launch, Billingham unveils a brash — and battered — smart aleck protagonist.
—Erin Douglass, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Aug. 2023
With a smart aleck’s wit and a knack for clear-eyed lyrics, the Brooklyn singer is a sympathetic narrator.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 5 May 2023
In real life, however, Mr. Jaffee was the opposite of a smart aleck: a genteel, unassuming man whose in-person humor was delivered with a wink, not a cudgel.
—Neil Genzlinger, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smart-aleck
Adjective
-
Catching feelings for her cute and reliable RA, Noel Crane (Scott Foley, making his second appearance on this list).—
Allison DeGrushe Published,
EW.com,
20 Aug. 2025
-
However, Archie follows the high school hijinks of the cute Archie and his main squeezes, Veronica and Betty.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Every post is something sarcastic about what other investors are doing and saying.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
4 Dec. 2025
-
Muhammad responded with a sarcastic agreement.—
Fernando Quiles Jr,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Specifically, the four wise guys from the North End framed by the FBI for a murder in Chelsea back in 1965.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The wise guys already view Denver suspiciously, casting them with the 12th-best odds to reach the Super Bowl next February.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Chick lit was flippant and fizzy and fun, above all, as effervescent and guiltless as a vodka soda.—
Hillary Busis,
Vanity Fair,
4 May 2026
-
Like the Oakley-wearing guy’s flippant comment about Monet, the essayist’s claims about my book came from of a failure of introspection.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Moore was a Baptist evangelist, admired for his knowledge of the Scriptures and for his satirical edge from the pulpit.—
Michael Luo,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
-
In Lebanon, a look-alike delivery driver posts satirical videos and pranks unsuspecting residents, showing the fear Adraee inspires.—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
The acidic nature of coffee can be a source of discomfort for people with acid reflux, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).—
Christina Manian,
Health,
10 June 2026
-
These involve removal of thorium from REE containing acidic solution, as well as the selective extraction of REEs using oxalic acid.—
Aditya Jadhav,
Interesting Engineering,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smart-aleck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smart-aleck. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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