smarty-pants 1 of 2

Definition of smarty-pantsnext

smarty-pants

2 of 2

plural noun

as in smarty
a person who likes to show off in a clever but annoying way I don't need to hear from some smarty-pants second-guesser that the theme for the party is all wrong

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of smarty-pants
Plural noun
Rolling off the bed in a silicon sleep cocoon, Grace gradually evolves from a wriggling larval stage into a fully upright, walking and talking smarty-pants. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026 Eventually, the game builds to its own metafictional deconstruction, albeit in a way that lands as an emotional gut punch rather than smarty-pants twist. Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smarty-pants
Adjective
  • Sherri Shepherd looks cute in polka dots to watch Tracee Ellis Ross make her Broadway debut in Every Brilliant Thing on July 16 in New York City.
    People Staff, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
  • Meredith, New Hampshire Meredith is one of those almost unbearably cute small East Coast towns—especially in the fall, when the colors really pop.
    Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 17 July 2026
Adjective
  • Water usage for both types can be further reduced by pairing them with smart controllers and timers.
    Kamron Sanders, The Spruce, 13 July 2026
  • Del Puerto will play Hector, a smart, hard-working, ambitious landscaper working on an upscale property in Frisco, TX.
    Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 13 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Smarty-pants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smarty-pants. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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