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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Even the cleverest plans leave room for a little improvisation.—Jack Lang, New York Times, 22 June 2025 This clever deck box works overtime as a bench for additional seating.—Clara McMahon, People.com, 21 June 2025 Part of the demand is perhaps driven by a clever sales tactic.—Annette Choi, CNN Money, 21 June 2025 With clever use of live video, hilarious audience participation, and a ton of vulnerability, Vigeant, whose film credits include a batch of short comedies, creates a portrait of a tragically ridiculous man who, unfortunately, has the time of his life.—Allen Salkin, HollywoodReporter, 20 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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