as in neatly
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Recent Examples of cleverly
Shadbolt cleverly blitzes a bit of black walnut into a vinaigrette that dresses a spray of watercress on the side, adding an unexpected layer of harmony.
—
Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
Even the lighting tells a story—lampshades found on Etsy were cleverly converted into pendant lights above the counter.
—Kathryn O'Shea-Evans, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 May 2026
Perhaps that’s why Lucy was able to ignore the signs for so long, some of which the audience is given the chance to see in a dark and disquieting flashback that Kreutzer cleverly interjects during the movie’s second act.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 15 May 2026
Impasse will not save the world; no book, no matter how cleverly marketed, will.
—Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
Chloe Claudel, picking up on that thread, directs the play in a cleverly glitchy mode, giving you normality with sudden, jolting gestures that move it into territory that’s unsettling, hilarious, or oddly serene.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 13 May 2026
The tripod collar and foot rotate a full 360 degrees and cleverly include a switch to change the collar between continuous, silent rotation and 90-degree detent clicks.
—Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 13 May 2026
The underground metro has two lines, and each station is cleverly outfitted with a toilet and an elevator.
—Kasia Dietz, Travel + Leisure, 13 May 2026
Insider tip The minibar is a delightful surprise, cleverly tucked inside the closet.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 May 2026
Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
Even the lighting tells a story—lampshades found on Etsy were cleverly converted into pendant lights above the counter.
—Kathryn O'Shea-Evans, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 May 2026
Perhaps that’s why Lucy was able to ignore the signs for so long, some of which the audience is given the chance to see in a dark and disquieting flashback that Kreutzer cleverly interjects during the movie’s second act.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 15 May 2026
Impasse will not save the world; no book, no matter how cleverly marketed, will.
—Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
Chloe Claudel, picking up on that thread, directs the play in a cleverly glitchy mode, giving you normality with sudden, jolting gestures that move it into territory that’s unsettling, hilarious, or oddly serene.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 13 May 2026
The tripod collar and foot rotate a full 360 degrees and cleverly include a switch to change the collar between continuous, silent rotation and 90-degree detent clicks.
—Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 13 May 2026
The underground metro has two lines, and each station is cleverly outfitted with a toilet and an elevator.
—Kasia Dietz, Travel + Leisure, 13 May 2026
Insider tip The minibar is a delightful surprise, cleverly tucked inside the closet.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cleverly
Adverb
-
While the Tory customer of the past felt neatly aligned with the country club aesthetic, the Tory customer today embodies a modern sensibility of polish and dynamism.—
Viv Chen,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
Trump’s and Harp’s style fits neatly into the ideal image of the world’s female political leaders, including those in China, Wu said.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
14 May 2026
Adverb
-
In those cases or others wherein the book in question has obvious value but doesn’t map cleanly onto standard dramatic architecture, Clarke may imagine an arthouse film, something artistically serious but commercially uncertain.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
It cannot be cleanly transferred.—
Lien De Pau,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Adverb
-
Yet Göring dominates the movie thanks to Russell Crowe’s performance, somehow both indulgently big and dexterously subtle.—
Matt Zoller Seitz,
Vulture,
11 Dec. 2025
Adverb
-
Football superstar Eric Cantona, the poetic yet pugilistic French striker who played best for English club Manchester United in the 1990s, gets the whole the-man-the-myth-the-legend treatment in the starkly if aptly titled documentary Cantona.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
-
Never committing to any one character’s point of view, Balagov and Stepnova’s script freewheels in meandering but mostly disarming fashion between these strands, with an errant storytelling rhythm aptly reflective of lives that are at once static and in perpetually unproductive motion.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Adverb
-
From the concierge who nimbly assisted me with dining and fitness class reservations to the kind dining staff, the friendly Miami team made sure I was always taken care of and was incredibly helpful at offering local recommendations and insight.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 May 2026
-
The most agile organizations have used their superior supply chain visibility and relationships to secure in-demand supplies, manage risk, protect profitability and nimbly respond to disruptions.—
Alex Saric,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cleverly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cleverly. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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