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
Damon Wise, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2025
Halley is viewed as having more academic disposition and is more enmeshed with operations and technology and is respected for his industry smarts.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 20 Oct. 2025
In Dahl’s original story, the Muggle-Wumps are clever and resourceful, using their smarts to turn the tables on their cruel captors.
—Jane Lacroix, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
Test your sci-fi smarts in our quiz!
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 17 Oct. 2025
And the Amazon Echo Dot (5th gen) Disney Edition is 28% off for Halloween, bringing Alexa smarts, fun design, and surprisingly good sound to your desk or bedside table.
—PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2025
The athleticism and the smarts won’t be a problem.
—Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
However, for all its smarts, AI still can’t make the most difficult orbital hazards go away.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Sep. 2025
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
Noun
Tonally, Regretting You is all over the place, a perfectly serviceable Hallmark movie subjected to unnecessary ironic smarts.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2025
Halley is viewed as having more academic disposition and is more enmeshed with operations and technology and is respected for his industry smarts.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 20 Oct. 2025
In Dahl’s original story, the Muggle-Wumps are clever and resourceful, using their smarts to turn the tables on their cruel captors.
—Jane Lacroix, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
Test your sci-fi smarts in our quiz!
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 17 Oct. 2025
And the Amazon Echo Dot (5th gen) Disney Edition is 28% off for Halloween, bringing Alexa smarts, fun design, and surprisingly good sound to your desk or bedside table.
—PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2025
The athleticism and the smarts won’t be a problem.
—Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
However, for all its smarts, AI still can’t make the most difficult orbital hazards go away.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Sep. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smarts
Noun
-
South Korea’s intelligence agency estimated in September that about 2,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed in the fighting.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Greta Lee is an intelligence officer pulled from a Gettysburg trip with her kid to deliver some important North Korean intel.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Most people suffer high fevers, headaches, muscle aches, sometimes balance problems and confusion.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Minor stomach aches, sore throats, ear aches and headaches — with no fever?—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The Minnesota academic later insulted Kirk's intellect.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Known for his wit, intellect, and love of both golf and the game that shaped his life, Domres stayed connected to former teammates and the sport well into his later years.—
Jon Paul Hoornstra,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This practice hurts both artists and their fans.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
20 Oct. 2025
-
This is where Sturm’s back injury hurts.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Both of those rankings praised the city for offering a sense of community, mountain scenery and a bustling arts scene.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Oct. 2025
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There was a sense of Diana and Charles arriving at Westminster Abbey in separate coaches on the day of the coronation.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
21 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 25 Oct. 2025.
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