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
Thanks to his clever punchlines that carry zero sting, the biggest names in TV can leave the ceremony with unbruised egos.
—
Erin Jensen, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
Yelena begrudgingly agrees, and from the start, this decision is a clever lift on religious iconography, as if Mother Mary took up arms against the Roman forces herself instead of letting her Son be crucified.
—Zachary Lee, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2025
His other big distraction is xAI Holdings, a clever piece of private market financial engineering.
—John Hyatt, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
And some of them are downright clever.
—Melanie Marshall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clever
Erin Jensen, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
Yelena begrudgingly agrees, and from the start, this decision is a clever lift on religious iconography, as if Mother Mary took up arms against the Roman forces herself instead of letting her Son be crucified.
—Zachary Lee, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2025
His other big distraction is xAI Holdings, a clever piece of private market financial engineering.
—John Hyatt, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
And some of them are downright clever.
—Melanie Marshall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clever
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clever
Adjective
-
Often, the most innovative solutions come from combining AI insights with human wisdom from diverse sources.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
What transpired were innovative and somewhat futuristic trousers, blazers, and outerwear.—
Robyn Mowatt,
Essence,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
For organizations that are serious about modernizing their platforms and adopting AI to drive efficiency and growth, intelligent archiving should be a core part of their digital transformation and data readiness strategies.—
Sean Nathaniel,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Bob was charismatic, intelligent, intense, always interesting— and one of the finest actors ever.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
On this occasion, Fernandez’s cross flies over Cucurella and straight into the thick of the action, where Joao Pedro’s cunning movement creates space to get his header away.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Bening will costar on the series as Beulah Jackson, who's described as the powerful, cunning, and charming head of a major ranch in Texas.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
His witty, sarcastic, and often controversial commentary is the soundtrack to a generation of wrestling fans.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Bazooka Joe invited 12 star athletes for a new collaboration, which combines the original theme of Joe delivering witty jokes with an informative component involving each sport.—
Shane Young,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Arena aims to bring hardware innovation to more people and allow inventive machinery to flourish, in the same way that the internet enabled an explosion of software services and apps.—
Aman Kidwai,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Every year, the food seems to be more inventive and as diverse as the chef teams serving it up.—
Laura Ness,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
This sculptural Snoopy mug brings the scene to life, featuring the dog in his heroic Flying Ace outfit (which doubles as an adorable Halloween costume idea), scarf and goggles in place, ready for imaginative aerial battles.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Again, bold and daring and wild changes, sure, but also imaginative and illuminating.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Meta also introduced a new pair of smart glasses made in collaboration with Oakley designed for high-performance sportspeople.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Meta has been developing its smart glasses with eyewear giant EssilorLuxottica since 2019, and last year renewed a long-term partnership agreement to continue making the products.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
There are a lot of different kinds of reminiscing on here, humorous and serious.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
12 Sep. 2025
-
On stage, DeMarco projected a charismatic, likable and humorous persona that went beyond his simple attire of a baseball cap and a T-shirt.—
David Chiu,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clever.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clever. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share