1
as in cute
making light of something usually regarded as serious or sacred
a talk show host who's known for his quick quips and smart-aleck observations on current events
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sarcastic
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings
a smart-aleck reply that was met with a slap in the face
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also smart alec
as in wise guy
a person who likes to show off in a clever but annoying way
some smart aleck in the audience kept shouting clever insults at the nervous speaker
Synonyms & Similar Words
Examples of smart-aleck in a Sentence
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Recent Examples on the Web
Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 13 June 2024
Perry portrayed sweet, sarcastic smart aleck Chandler Bing for 10 seasons on Friends, garnering an Emmy nomination.
—EW.com, 29 Oct. 2023
In this series launch, Billingham unveils a brash — and battered — smart aleck protagonist.
—Erin Douglass, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Aug. 2023
Declan Miller – a recent widower, ballroom dancer, and devoted smart aleck – has a full plate.
—Monitor Contributors, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 July 2023
With a smart aleck’s wit and a knack for clear-eyed lyrics, the Brooklyn singer is a sympathetic narrator.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 5 May 2023
In real life, however, Mr. Jaffee was the opposite of a smart aleck: a genteel, unassuming man whose in-person humor was delivered with a wink, not a cudgel.
—Neil Genzlinger, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2023
The Idea Oven — a suggestion box for half-baked whims, inspirations and notions for new products, businesses or innovations — was a regular feature in this column at the turn of the century (yes, this century, smart aleck).
—Eric Zorn, chicagotribune.com, 30 Apr. 2021
Ellie is a smart aleck 13-year-old with a mysterious immunity to the virus.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 3 Feb. 2023
Noun
Newton scored and so did backcourt mate Cam Spencer, that different style of smart aleck, who had 20.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 13 June 2024
Perry portrayed sweet, sarcastic smart aleck Chandler Bing for 10 seasons on Friends, garnering an Emmy nomination.
—EW.com, 29 Oct. 2023
In this series launch, Billingham unveils a brash — and battered — smart aleck protagonist.
—Erin Douglass, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Aug. 2023
Declan Miller – a recent widower, ballroom dancer, and devoted smart aleck – has a full plate.
—Monitor Contributors, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 July 2023
With a smart aleck’s wit and a knack for clear-eyed lyrics, the Brooklyn singer is a sympathetic narrator.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 5 May 2023
In real life, however, Mr. Jaffee was the opposite of a smart aleck: a genteel, unassuming man whose in-person humor was delivered with a wink, not a cudgel.
—Neil Genzlinger, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2023
The Idea Oven — a suggestion box for half-baked whims, inspirations and notions for new products, businesses or innovations — was a regular feature in this column at the turn of the century (yes, this century, smart aleck).
—Eric Zorn, chicagotribune.com, 30 Apr. 2021
Ellie is a smart aleck 13-year-old with a mysterious immunity to the virus.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 3 Feb. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smart-aleck
Adjective
-
As cute as the circular jog wheel is, having to enter a name for your schedules and programs is a pain.Anthony Karcz, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
-
This goes beyond colorful containers and cute doormats.Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
The statues come on the heels of the installation of a sarcastic statue dedicated to Jan. 6, 2021, insurrectionists, which was unveiled in front of the Capitol last week.Juliann Ventura, The Hill, 31 Oct. 2024
-
All this to say, Mo-eum is using this famous expression in a sarcastic way to imply that Seok-ryu is admitting her fault in the hopes that Mo-eum might go easy on her. 6.Regina Kim, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
Tennessee is currently a 2.5-point favorite, an indication the wise guys believe Love is unlikely to play.Rob Reischel, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024
-
The wise guys prefer the Bucs’ Mike Evans to follow suit, but my money’s on Godwin.Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2024
Adjective
-
On the Kyle Meredith With… podcast, Hale said that his character is supposed to represent the flippant, sexist culture of the 1970s.Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 25 Oct. 2024
-
To veer away from this register runs the risk of sounding flippant, even cruel.Rhian Sasseen, The Atlantic, 14 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
Peppiatt not only makes drug humor seem joyfully silly again, but treats Irish patriotism as a tempting high worth celebrating; there’s a tough and satiric love at play.Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2024
-
This satiric sequel comes close to extending the joke too far, and the plot-starting death of Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) is a lazy-rude contrivance.Nick Romano, EW.com, 26 July 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near smart-aleck
Cite this Entry
“Smart-aleck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smart-aleck. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share