1
as in smart
having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment
a shrewd used car dealer who knew how to make the best possible deal shrewd investments that paid off big
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bitter
causing intense discomfort to one's skin
she pulled her coat tighter against the shrewd breeze whipping down the alley
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in cunning
clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means
a shrewd operator in the real estate game, she made every buyer think they were getting the deal of the century
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shrewd
On top of doggedly tracking a serial killer whose murder spree started decades earlier, our shrewd heroine uncovers a tangled workplace conspiracy that's as sinister as her prime suspect's motives.
—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
The Robin of the story’s end is shrewder than the boy who arrived in the city hours before.
—
John Swansburg,
The Atlantic,
15 June 2026
The shrewd, long-serving Obama hands Jarrett and Tina Tchen coached this project through all the minefields Chicago inevitably put in its way.
—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
14 June 2026
One of Khaled El-Ahmad’s shrewdest transactions received more validation Friday.
—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for shrewd
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
The Robin of the story’s end is shrewder than the boy who arrived in the city hours before.
—
John Swansburg,
The Atlantic,
15 June 2026
The shrewd, long-serving Obama hands Jarrett and Tina Tchen coached this project through all the minefields Chicago inevitably put in its way.
—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
14 June 2026
One of Khaled El-Ahmad’s shrewdest transactions received more validation Friday.
—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for shrewd
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrewd
Adjective
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Share a smart idea with a neighbor, then turn it into a clear message while your mind stays agile.
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The Knicks could, hypothetically, trade a starter to create space beneath the second apron to re-sign Robinson, but breaking up a starting five that just won a title is not a smart idea.
Adjective
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But to pay that extra and miss out on one of Samsung’s best hardware inventions in years would be a bitter pill to swallow.
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Many Lebanese also have bitter memories of the decades of Syrian occupation of Lebanon, which began during the Lebanese civil war, initially at the request of Lebanese authorities and with the backing of Arab states, ending in 2005.
Adjective
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That doesn't enable cunning and unprincipled men to subvert the power of the people.
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For decades, humans mined antibiotic molecules from microbes and tweaked them to develop new drugs, staying ahead of evolution’s cunning countermeasures.
Adjective
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However, astute investors can identify when fear has pushed expectations below a reasonable future outlook.
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They were refined and astute thinkers.
Adjective
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In addition to the sharp shape, the coffee brown shade gives the bag a more elevated feel.
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During male puberty, rising testosterone drives the cartilage to grow forward and meet at a sharper angle, while simultaneously lengthening the vocal folds and vocal tract housed just behind it.
Adjective
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Berries, given their naturally tiny nature, are a super cute choice.
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The pair have to find their friends (JJ included) which leads to a cute game of peekaboo.
Adjective
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The bomb-throwing influencer Kat Abughazaleh, 27, won the portions of that district in Chicago’s North Side lakefront neighborhoods, but suburban votes gave savvy Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss the win.
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But are the most savvy shoppers at the car dealership this Fourth of July?
Adjective
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So Google isn’t trying to release more biting mosquitoes into neighborhoods.
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Netflix’s big comedy bet might be the Dan Levy–Rachel Sennott co-creation Big Mistakes; the biting, farcical series about adult siblings who get caught up in the drug business plays like Weeds crossed with The Other Two.
Cite this Entry
“Shrewd.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrewd. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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