sharp-witted

adjective

ˈshärp-ˈwi-təd How to pronounce sharp-witted (audio)
Definition of sharp-wittednext
1
as in smart
having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment her sharp-witted questions always cut right to the core of the issue

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in intelligent
having or showing quickness of mind a TV game show that allows sharp-witted contestants to show their stuff

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 sharp-witted Curtis is set to step into the role of Jessica Fletcher, the sharp-witted mystery writer and amateur detective famously portrayed by Angela Lansbury in the original television series. — Staff Author, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026 They’ll be joined by Downton Abbey‘s Julian Ovenden as the suave, sophisticated Dexter Haven, Carly Mercedes Dyer (Anything Goes) as the sharp-witted Liz, Nigel Lindsay (Mobland) as Uncle Willie, and Malcolm Sinclair (Pie in the Sky) as Seth Lord. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 8 Apr. 2026 Before Uncle Sam, other figures represented the young country, including Yankee Doodle, once a British insult aimed at American colonials, and Brother Jonathan, a sharp-witted embodiment of American common sense. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Mar. 2026 Abbington plays Eve, a sharp-witted, slightly off-kilter actress whose obsession with the case pulls her into the investigative orbit and complicates the group dynamic. — Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 16 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sharp-witted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sharp-witted
  1. smart
  2. intelligent
  3. astute
  4. clever
  5. shrewd
  6. quick
  7. brilliant
  8. fast
Adjective
  • There will always be smart people, tech people, who don't have the world's best interests in mind.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
  • And now there is Trudie’s Tavern, which opened this past summer in Carroll Gardens, a smart little restaurant that’s the most ambitious, and the most accomplished, of the three.
    — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of smart
Adjective
  • Legitimate concerns about abuse can be mitigated through intelligent regulation, not by eliminating a long-standing policing tool.
    — Rafael A. Mangual, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
  • View gallery - 3 images There was a time when intelligent rings were what your level-three wizard wore in a Dungeons and Dragons campaign.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of intelligent
Adjective
  • One of the grid’s most astute late-nineteenth-century critics, the geologist John Wesley Powell, decried its environmental recklessness.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
  • As some astute readers have pointed out, Gen has piled up a lot of dirty laundry this season.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of astute
Adjective
  • Luckily, Amazon’s fitness section is loaded with clever devices to make home workouts fun, engaging, and a little sweaty.
    — Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2026
  • There are some genuinely clever ideas on display, including space-saving furniture, transforming interiors, and ways of opening the home up to the outdoors.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of clever
Adjective
  • In another shrewd move from Neon, the studio announced that when Oscar season rolls around, Borisov will be running in the lead-actor category and Garfield in supporting alongside Rylance and Barbaro.
    — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 6 Oct. 2026
  • As an adolescent, Winston could hardly have imagined the cascading effect of his shrewd eye for color and clarity.
    — Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of shrewd
Adjective
  • Set the scene My Uber ride from Santa Fe’s Regional Airport was a quick 15 minutes.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The activewear market has been especially quick to adopt these changes.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of quick
Adjective
  • Through the sheer force of his will and his brilliant comedic timing, Bratton was elevated to a cast member by the second season.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Read Cep’s Profile of Kingsolver » Our editors and critics choose the most captivating, notable, brilliant, surprising, absorbing, weird, thought-provoking, and talked-about books.
    — Casey Cep, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of brilliant
Adjective
  • The service As elsewhere in Bahia, service is warm and friendly—albeit not quite as fast and efficient as city-dwellers may expect.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The models have become much more capable; the pace of improvement from model to model is faster; and the stakes are much higher.
    — Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of fast

Browse Nearby Words

sharp-tongued
sharp-witted
shatter
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sharp-witted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sharp-witted. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All