as in intelligence
the ability to learn and understand or to deal with problems
she had the smarts to start college at age 16, but perhaps not the emotional maturity
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smarts
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 29 Aug. 2025
With his smarts, athleticism, versatility and physicality, Hamilton has become one of the centerpieces of a Baltimore defense well-stocked with accomplished veterans and former first-round picks.
—Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
And while superb hardware is a big part of Vivo's flagship phone camera prowess, software processing also plays a significant role, and those image processing algorithms and smarts have carried over to the V series.
—Ben Sin, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
At times in camp, though, Barron has looked lost in his own smarts.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 22 Aug. 2025
Frost/Nixon is all theatrical, actorly flourishes delivered with steady craftsmanship and showbiz smarts.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
Noun
Mainstream musical offerings of the time tended toward the overly macho or overly feminine, overly loud or overly slick—but indie appeared to value complexity and smarts.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 29 Aug. 2025
With his smarts, athleticism, versatility and physicality, Hamilton has become one of the centerpieces of a Baltimore defense well-stocked with accomplished veterans and former first-round picks.
—Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
And while superb hardware is a big part of Vivo's flagship phone camera prowess, software processing also plays a significant role, and those image processing algorithms and smarts have carried over to the V series.
—Ben Sin, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
At times in camp, though, Barron has looked lost in his own smarts.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 22 Aug. 2025
Frost/Nixon is all theatrical, actorly flourishes delivered with steady craftsmanship and showbiz smarts.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smarts
Noun
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Would any self-respecting show really risk insulting the viewer’s intelligence so flagrantly?—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
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Tariff anxieties continue to weigh on family office deal-making, which sunk in August by nearly 50% on a year-over-year basis, according to the private wealth intelligence platform.—
Hayley Cuccinello,
CNBC,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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My heart aches knowing such a beautiful soul was taken from us too soon.—
KC Baker,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Symptoms, which can develop up to 14 days after exposure, include cough, fever, chills, headaches, muscle aches, and shortness of breath.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
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His daughter mirrored his parvenue of a wife, a woman beneath him not in station but rather in intellect, someone easily affected and prone to childlike ideas.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
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This survey does not measure intellect.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The danger for Streeting, who is widely seen as a possible successor to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, is that the row hurts the wider economy.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
3 Sep. 2025
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Mamdani is just a much better politician than Bush, as his entire agenda speaks to the affordability crisis that disproportionately hurts Black voters.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This has for decades been underpinned by voluntary pricing agreements — voluntary in the sense that non-voluntary terms would have been worse — between the industry and the NHS.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
3 Sep. 2025
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There is no sense of responsibility or critical assessment of the causes of the refusal to publish in Israel while the massacre continues.—
Uriel Kon
September 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But regret pains them like a knot in their shoulders.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smarts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smarts. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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