1
as in innovative
showing a noteworthy use of the imagination and creativity especially in inventing
an inventor who was constantly coming up with clever devices for doing everyday chores
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in intelligent
having or showing quickness of mind
a clever student figured out a trick to do the assignment faster
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in cunning
skillful with the hands
the Shakers were clever artisans who created many ingenious and highly useful devices
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in witty
given to or marked by mature intelligent humor
a clever joke that requires a little bit of thought on the part of the listener
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in inventive
having the skill and imagination to create new things
I wonder what clever person thought of the digital camera
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 clever
She was drawn to the script because her character is very clever at using the legal system to achieve personal justice for her clients.
—
Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
There are the clever visual gags allowed by animation, like characters who quite literally shoot daggers at one another while locked in a glaring match; there are many jokes at the imperious, overconfident Marioneta’s expense.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 17 Aug. 2025
Whether your reason for buying a water bottle carrier is to free up your hands or keep from scratching, denting, and inevitably losing your treasured $40 water vessel, this clever bottle sling serves all purposes.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 17 Aug. 2025
Jimmy Fallon had a clever way of explaining President Donald Trump‘s rocky relationship with Vladimir Putin, as the late-night host used Taylor Swift songs to break down their history ahead of an upcoming meeting between the two world leaders.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clever
Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
There are the clever visual gags allowed by animation, like characters who quite literally shoot daggers at one another while locked in a glaring match; there are many jokes at the imperious, overconfident Marioneta’s expense.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 17 Aug. 2025
Whether your reason for buying a water bottle carrier is to free up your hands or keep from scratching, denting, and inevitably losing your treasured $40 water vessel, this clever bottle sling serves all purposes.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 17 Aug. 2025
Jimmy Fallon had a clever way of explaining President Donald Trump‘s rocky relationship with Vladimir Putin, as the late-night host used Taylor Swift songs to break down their history ahead of an upcoming meeting between the two world leaders.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clever
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clever
Adjective
-
Using an innovative analytical technique, the Grenoble team measured the chemical composition in melt inclusions trapped within 3.3-billion-year-old olivine crystals recovered from fossil lava of the Weltevreden-Formation in South Africa.—
David Bressan,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
-
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District is leading the way with innovative solutions, including green infrastructure programs, that are designed to combat these issues.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The scaling hypothesis—the belief that bigger models will produce more intelligent outputs—seems to rest on the dubious belief that a system that has been fed enough information about the world will not have to deal with fuzziness.—
Meghan O’Gieblyn,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
-
Across a wide network, each unit can become intelligent by deploying state-of-the-art technologies and AI, but also by gaining easy access to insights from more successful locations.—
Andrei Danescu,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Köhler specializes in cunning, tonally surprising films about cross-cultural disconnection, and Gavagai is his most ambitious and expansive film yet—a pinpoint-accurate account of moral crises and social biases, modern and ancient, internal and external.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
5 Aug. 2025
-
But as the supervisors tweaked the incentives, a new form of cunning arose.—
Craig S. Smith,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
When tackling these contests, players even get a rival, and the player’s character and the rival will have witty banter across each of the events.—
Gieson Cacho,
Mercury News,
26 Aug. 2025
-
Its witty writing and quirky characters have aged well, telling the story of Dave Lister (Craig Charles), a lazy, curry-loving technician and the last human being alive.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Last year, fans and critics alike cheered on three inventive and ubiquitous pop stars: Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, and Charli XCX.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
25 Aug. 2025
-
Mastodon’s inventive, progressive tendencies came to the fore on subsequent LPs, starting with 2009’s Crack the Skye—which introduced Dailor to the band’s suite of lead vocalists—and 2011’s The Hunter, which was dedicated to Hinds’ late brother.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Washington’s invigorating performance goes far beyond charisma and technique to enrich the role with an imaginative repertory of seemingly spontaneous gestures: a chilling series of gun-pointing fingers when in doubt; the removal of a diamond earring at a point of financial need.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Spark’s new boss was a wildly imaginative and very demanding foreign correspondent of Falstaffian proportions named Sefton Delmer.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
10 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
From supporting local zoning reforms to promoting smart federal investments, our goal is simple: expand access to homeownership.—
Collyn Wainwright,
The Tennessean,
21 Aug. 2025
-
That’s where the real value is, and that’s what smart leadership looks like.—
Paul Getter,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The film, written by Tony McNamara (The Favourite, The Great) and directed by Jay Roach (Meet the Parents, Bombshell), also comments on the observation that Brits are inherently better at insulting each other in a way that feels humorous or light-hearted as opposed to just outright cruel.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
25 Aug. 2025
-
For example, Cleese shares the humorous anecdote about a professor who dedicated himself later in life to learning how to swim.—
Tim Maurer,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clever.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clever. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share