as in cute
making light of something usually regarded as serious or sacred
your smarty-pants comments aren't helping matters any
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in smarty
a person who likes to show off in a clever but annoying way
I don't need to hear from some smarty-pants second-guesser that the theme for the party is all wrong
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of smarty-pants
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Eventually, the game builds to its own metafictional deconstruction, albeit in a way that lands as an emotional gut punch rather than smarty-pants twist.
—Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2025
Plural noun
Rolling off the bed in a silicon sleep cocoon, Grace gradually evolves from a wriggling larval stage into a fully upright, walking and talking smarty-pants.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Eventually, the game builds to its own metafictional deconstruction, albeit in a way that lands as an emotional gut punch rather than smarty-pants twist.
—Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smarty-pants
Adjective
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Everyone loves the idea of packing cute sandals for a summer Europe trip, until they’re covered in blisters halfway through the day and begging to call a taxi.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
13 June 2026
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So, naturally, PEOPLE reached out to get all the details about their new pals, along with some exclusive, shamelessly cute photos of them all.—
Breanne L. Heldman,
PEOPLE,
13 June 2026
Adjective
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Travel costs keep climbing in 2026, and a wellness retreat at home is becoming the smarter way to reset without spending thousands on flights and resort stays.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
13 June 2026
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There’s also a smart key system with proximity detection, automatic steering wheel unlocking, and seat opening.—
Utkarsh Sood
June 13,
New Atlas,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smarty-pants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smarty-pants. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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