as in intelligence
the ability to learn and understand or to deal with problems
she had the smarts to start college at age 16, but perhaps not the emotional maturity
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smarts
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2025
Buium will compete with William Wallinder for long-term looks in Detroit, and while Wallinder (who is a year older) is viewed as being closer to the NHL, Buium certainly has the size, smarts and hands to become an NHL regular at some point.
—Max Bultman, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Vue’s combination of shiftiness with the ball and the ability to win the ball out of the air against opponents of any size, Manson said, is rare to find in any player — a combination of technical excellence and soccer smarts.
—Andrew Cornelius, Twin Cities, 15 Sep. 2025
The whole conceit of the 2025 season was that the veterans would hold down the fort until the prodigious roster of kids caught up to the speed, smarts, and physicality of the NFL game.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 10 Sep. 2025
Tyler Andrew Riddle dripped with charisma and smarts.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Of course this is just a huge cast but this edition is dominated by Dockery’s Mary, navigating being in the eye of a storm but also showing dignity and smarts in the process.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2025
Mainstream musical offerings of the time tended toward the overly macho or overly feminine, overly loud or overly slick—but indie appeared to value complexity and smarts.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 29 Aug. 2025
And while superb hardware is a big part of Vivo's flagship phone camera prowess, software processing also plays a significant role, and those image processing algorithms and smarts have carried over to the V series.
—Ben Sin, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Noun
It’s produced by Jordan Peele‘s Monkeypaw Productions, an auteur-run production shingle that guarantees a certain amount of social-thriller bona fides and smarts.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2025
Buium will compete with William Wallinder for long-term looks in Detroit, and while Wallinder (who is a year older) is viewed as being closer to the NHL, Buium certainly has the size, smarts and hands to become an NHL regular at some point.
—Max Bultman, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Vue’s combination of shiftiness with the ball and the ability to win the ball out of the air against opponents of any size, Manson said, is rare to find in any player — a combination of technical excellence and soccer smarts.
—Andrew Cornelius, Twin Cities, 15 Sep. 2025
The whole conceit of the 2025 season was that the veterans would hold down the fort until the prodigious roster of kids caught up to the speed, smarts, and physicality of the NFL game.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 10 Sep. 2025
Tyler Andrew Riddle dripped with charisma and smarts.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Of course this is just a huge cast but this edition is dominated by Dockery’s Mary, navigating being in the eye of a storm but also showing dignity and smarts in the process.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2025
Mainstream musical offerings of the time tended toward the overly macho or overly feminine, overly loud or overly slick—but indie appeared to value complexity and smarts.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 29 Aug. 2025
And while superb hardware is a big part of Vivo's flagship phone camera prowess, software processing also plays a significant role, and those image processing algorithms and smarts have carried over to the V series.
—Ben Sin, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smarts
Noun
-
The festival also falls during the seventh anniversary of the assassination of Washington Post columnist and Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi, which a US intelligence report says happened at the behest of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.—
Liam Reilly,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
-
The office of the director of national intelligence is expected to make an announcement on the Havana Syndrome investigation soon, two sources told the Herald.—
Nora Gamez Torres,
Miami Herald,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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For many, the virus results in flu-like symptoms, such as a fever with headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea or rash, per the CDC.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
28 Sep. 2025
-
My heart aches for that poor boy.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The King of Swords invites you to lead with intellect, integrity, and objectivity.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 Oct. 2025
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In a rare turn for Chinese tech, Alibaba is leaning heavily into superintelligence — a hypothetical AI system surpassing human intellect — mirroring efforts by US firms like OpenAI and Meta.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This is where Reed Garrett’s injury hurts the Mets; the right-handed reliever is more platoon-neutral.—
Will Sammon,
New York Times,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Mayor Koch is only feeding into the doubters and deniers who fail to recognize that sometimes the truth hurts, but what’s the other option?—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Your goals can determine the type of account that makes the most sense.—
Andreina Rodriguez,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
-
For a generation living in great uncertainty—from the GFC to COVID to cost-of-living pressures—Trump’s disruptive appeal offers both a protest and a sense of control.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But regret pains them like a knot in their shoulders.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smarts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smarts. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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