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
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Recent Examples of smarts
Alec Lewis, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Spencer’s sharpshooting, smarts and toughness have been welcome in Memphis, which has several good young players, and Spencer figures to be part of the fold for years to come.
—Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 2 Mar. 2026
Apps for patients and facilities The company has poured its data management wizardry and AI smarts into apps for patients and clinicians.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Feb. 2026
That segment was a combination of being in the right place at the right time, luck, smarts, and most of it was shot on my iPhone.
—Sarah Hepola, Dallas Morning News, 23 Feb. 2026
And then there’s Marty Supreme, which has been beaconing Jewish pride since Christmas Day, its title character competing not just with the Jewish stereotype of smarts but with stamina and skill, a ferocious athleticism.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026
Yet such smarts are not evident among all the teams in the NBA, and certainly not among all the teams in MLB.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
His strength and smarts remain elite, but his decline at 38 is increasingly evident.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 7 Feb. 2026
Those guys have physicality, nastiness, speed, smarts.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 3 Feb. 2026
James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 14 Nov. 2025
Noun
Jurgens’ smarts and work ethic give him an opportunity, too.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Spencer’s sharpshooting, smarts and toughness have been welcome in Memphis, which has several good young players, and Spencer figures to be part of the fold for years to come.
—Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 2 Mar. 2026
Apps for patients and facilities The company has poured its data management wizardry and AI smarts into apps for patients and clinicians.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Feb. 2026
That segment was a combination of being in the right place at the right time, luck, smarts, and most of it was shot on my iPhone.
—Sarah Hepola, Dallas Morning News, 23 Feb. 2026
And then there’s Marty Supreme, which has been beaconing Jewish pride since Christmas Day, its title character competing not just with the Jewish stereotype of smarts but with stamina and skill, a ferocious athleticism.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026
Yet such smarts are not evident among all the teams in the NBA, and certainly not among all the teams in MLB.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
His strength and smarts remain elite, but his decline at 38 is increasingly evident.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 7 Feb. 2026
Those guys have physicality, nastiness, speed, smarts.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 3 Feb. 2026
Verb
It’s been 10 years since Fantastic Four flopped, but its box-office failure still smarts for star Miles Teller.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 14 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smarts
Noun
-
Shipping intelligence data provider Kpler estimates around 12 million barrels of crude oil to have passed through the strait since the war started.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
-
During the 1980s Iran-Iraq War, the United States actively supported Saddam Hussein — providing intelligence and diplomatic cover even as Iraq deployed chemical weapons against Iranian soldiers and civilians.—
Letters to the Editor,
Oc Register,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Others include fever and head or body aches.—
Jasmine Mendez
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Patients can also experience fever, headaches and body aches.—
Kelly McCarthy,
ABC News,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
At its core, reading a physical book, particularly a novel, connotes more than just taste, intellect, or even a desire to pass your time in a more productive way than doomscrolling.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
9 Mar. 2026
-
That effect, in Anderson’s succinct terms, is one of pleasure or displeasure—both are embedded in an experience as much of the body as the intellect.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In addition to the personal toll, playing overseas also hurts players professionally by limiting their ability to sign endorsement deals.—
J.J. Bailey,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Advertisement Love Story, like so many Murphy projects, is too focused on revising historical narratives to care about crafting complex characters, much less about who its flattening hurts.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The small, walkable village of Tubac is the ideal destination for a day trip or weekend getaway, one with dozens of unique galleries that embrace a sense of place in the Sonoran Desert.—
Molly Allen,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
-
But there was something profound about the sense of connection and engagement that all kinds of writing gave him.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
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 14 Mar. 2026.
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