All of Laptsev went to stare at the bride-to-be—she was no beauty, but everyone could see that she was clever, sophisticated …—Isaac Bashevis Singer, New Yorker, 29 Sept. 2003… the three of them may give Gray Davis, who was too clever for his own good, his comeuppance.—Garrison Keillor, Time, 25 Aug. 2003Some thought he had no redeeming value whatsoever. A sociopath. A clever manipulator …—Louise Erdrich, New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2002Those who can't write poetry, write clever letters to the editor. Those who can't write clever letters to the editor, write angry letters to the editor.—Matt Groening, Utne Reader, November/December 1987The old lady was clever enough and he thought that if she had started from any of the right premises, more might have been expected of her.—Flannery O'Connor, Everything That Rises Must Converge, 1967
Some cats are clever enough to figure out how to operate doorknobs.
That's the cleverest idea I've heard yet!
She found a clever hiding place for the letter.
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Light, clever, and just leftfield enough to feel like a proper find.—Lela London, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025 Dubno’s novel sounds equally thoughtful and nasty, clever and juicy and full of great drama.—Literary Hub
july 1, Literary Hub, 1 July 2025 Apart from the focus on products, which was so clever, the modernity of his visual approach for the exhibition makes all the pieces so accurate, desirable and fresh.—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 30 June 2025 The American Kennel Club (AKC) notes that the breed is clever, lively and courageous, but can also become clingy with their favorite human.—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for clever
Word History
Etymology
Middle English cliver, perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Danish dialect kløver alert, skillful
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