as in mind
the normal or healthy condition of the mental abilities
scared out of her wits
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Recent Examples of wits
Sylvie must confront her deepest secrets, use all her wits to survive and uncover why, of all people, she’s been entangled in this elaborate terror plot.
—
Alex Ritman, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026
That was always the pinnacle achievement of what one man’s wits and a whip could do.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2026
Charlie's Angels centered on three private investigators who, under orders from their enigmatic but never visible boss, Charlie Townsend, solved cases together using their wits and style.
—Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026
Along the way, the two of them verbally spar and match wits on a variety of topics.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
The intergenerational duo has kept fans hooked with their surefire wits and complicated relationship that both hurts and heals.
—Erin Jensen, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
The first debate between presidential candidates occurred on May 17, 1948, when Republican contenders Thomas Dewey and Harold Stassen matched wits.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
The level of stress the game conjures rivals that of the new Resident Evil installment, in which a young woman armed with only her wits and a pistol faces down ravenous monsters.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026
Hundreds of people who are very fast on their feet and quick with their wits will be in Hartford March 26-29 for the Hartford Improv Festival.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2026
Alex Ritman, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026
That was always the pinnacle achievement of what one man’s wits and a whip could do.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2026
Charlie's Angels centered on three private investigators who, under orders from their enigmatic but never visible boss, Charlie Townsend, solved cases together using their wits and style.
—Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026
Along the way, the two of them verbally spar and match wits on a variety of topics.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
The intergenerational duo has kept fans hooked with their surefire wits and complicated relationship that both hurts and heals.
—Erin Jensen, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
The first debate between presidential candidates occurred on May 17, 1948, when Republican contenders Thomas Dewey and Harold Stassen matched wits.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
The level of stress the game conjures rivals that of the new Resident Evil installment, in which a young woman armed with only her wits and a pistol faces down ravenous monsters.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026
Hundreds of people who are very fast on their feet and quick with their wits will be in Hartford March 26-29 for the Hartford Improv Festival.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wits
Noun
-
Carly loves playing hostess, and designs interiors above all with socializing in mind—the conversation pit is one of her favorite midcentury tropes.—
Olivia Kan-Sperling,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
-
Andrillon warned against trying to harness the sleeping mind in the service of the waking world.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
In Hinckley's case, prosecutors had to prove sanity beyond a reasonable doubt.—
Katrina Kaufman,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
In Joseph Heller’s novel, claiming to be crazy is taken as evidence of sanity.—
Fintan O’Toole,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wits. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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