as in neatly
in a strikingly neat and trim manner
the smartly dressed scouts marched at the head of the Memorial Day parade
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Recent Examples of smartly
Maclin tried to move out of the way of any aerial moves, but Santana smartly went to the top rope and hit a big splash on the outside.
—
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2026
Tatis’ throw, which was headed slightly up the line, was smartly cut off by Sung-Mun Song, who turned and fired to home, where Call slid in just before catcher Freddy Fermin’s tag.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 May 2026
Whether this is your first home or forever one, here’s your guide to settling in smoothly, safely and smartly from day one to day ninety.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026
Jasprit Bumrah, who had a lean season with the ball, clean bowled Pandey with a perfect off-cutter and Powell was smartly snapped by Bosch at backward point before Kolkata reached the target with seven balls to spare when Rinku Singh smashed Will Jacks over his head for a winning boundary.
—ABC News, 20 May 2026
The result is a television series more interested in psychological erosion than tabloid spectacle — and a production that smartly treated makeup, hair, and performance as storytelling tools in their own right.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 20 May 2026
The Thunder also drafted smartly in the draft lottery (Holmgren, 2022), middle of the first round (Jalen Williams; 2022, Wallace; 2024) and in the second round (Aaron Wiggins; 2021, Mitchell; 2024).
—Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
In Milan, Jaeger-LeCoultre smartly avoided presenting the Atmos as a relic of engineering nostalgia.
—Taylor Stoddard, Robb Report, 8 May 2026
While mostly faithful to the book, this Lord of the Flies smartly adjusts its story of midcentury schoolboys stranded on a desert island for an episodic medium by filtering each installment through the perspective of a different preteen character.
—Judy Berman, Time, 4 May 2026
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2026
Tatis’ throw, which was headed slightly up the line, was smartly cut off by Sung-Mun Song, who turned and fired to home, where Call slid in just before catcher Freddy Fermin’s tag.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 May 2026
Whether this is your first home or forever one, here’s your guide to settling in smoothly, safely and smartly from day one to day ninety.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026
Jasprit Bumrah, who had a lean season with the ball, clean bowled Pandey with a perfect off-cutter and Powell was smartly snapped by Bosch at backward point before Kolkata reached the target with seven balls to spare when Rinku Singh smashed Will Jacks over his head for a winning boundary.
—ABC News, 20 May 2026
The result is a television series more interested in psychological erosion than tabloid spectacle — and a production that smartly treated makeup, hair, and performance as storytelling tools in their own right.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 20 May 2026
The Thunder also drafted smartly in the draft lottery (Holmgren, 2022), middle of the first round (Jalen Williams; 2022, Wallace; 2024) and in the second round (Aaron Wiggins; 2021, Mitchell; 2024).
—Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
In Milan, Jaeger-LeCoultre smartly avoided presenting the Atmos as a relic of engineering nostalgia.
—Taylor Stoddard, Robb Report, 8 May 2026
While mostly faithful to the book, this Lord of the Flies smartly adjusts its story of midcentury schoolboys stranded on a desert island for an episodic medium by filtering each installment through the perspective of a different preteen character.
—Judy Berman, Time, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smartly
Adverb
-
While the Tory customer of the past felt neatly aligned with the country club aesthetic, the Tory customer today embodies a modern sensibility of polish and dynamism.—
Viv Chen,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
Trump’s and Harp’s style fits neatly into the ideal image of the world’s female political leaders, including those in China, Wu said.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
14 May 2026
Adverb
-
Crime in Los Angeles fell sharply during Villaraigosa’s two terms.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
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The cost of supplies and operating expenses have risen sharply, putting pressure on profits.—
William Deffaa,
Baltimore Sun,
14 May 2026
Adverb
-
After carefully mapping out the tree, Joshy and team managed to integrate the branching into the home’s design.—
Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar,
Architectural Digest,
24 May 2026
-
Emerging tech firms can play a role in the future of American defense, but that role should be as vendors, supplying technology that is carefully vetted and aligned with a new, more realistic and restrained defense strategy.—
William Hartung,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smartly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smartly. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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