CLEVERNESS Synonyms: 120 Similar and Opposite Words

cleverness

noun

Definition of cleverness

as in ability

mental skill or quickness it takes real cleverness to find a way around the rules

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in skill

subtle or imaginative ability in inventing, devising, or executing something the undeniable cleverness of the negotiator, who managed to get each side to believe that they had won

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in creativity

the skill and imagination to create new things Cole Porter's overall cleverness with words, including his effortless ability to rhyme and pun

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 cleverness And a cleverness with words, as illustrated in lyrics, conversation, and album titles including Internet Killed the Rock Star and God Save the Teen. — Katherine Turman, SPIN, 13 Oct. 2026 The hotel is a sleeper hit with the old-school crowd who come for the team’s warmth and understated cleverness. — Katharine Sohn, Architectural Digest, 2 Oct. 2026 The collective understanding of the world that brings us together through wit, cleverness and relevance. — Jonathan Knight, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2026 The wonderful Wood, meanwhile, infuses Anna with open-hearted charisma and cleverness, securing the balance in their onscreen relationship. — Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026 Penn perfectly captures Ern’s clueyness and cleverness, and David has brought bags of wit and heart to the script. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2026 Ormund is given a great deal more character and power and cleverness in the show. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Members must accommodate themselves to its fictions, with varying mixtures of gullibility and cynicism; followers shown proof that the leader has lied may admire him all the more for his tactical cleverness. — David Denby, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 If discussions keep scattering, don’t add more cleverness to the pile. — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cleverness

Noun

The ability for anyone to generate strategy, code, or creative work in seconds effectively filled in the moats built on blitzscaling overnight.

— Matt Alt, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
This gives voters the ability to reelect or change the majority of the City Commission every two years.

— Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of ability

Noun

The students who stepped forward when their teacher collapsed playing basketball in Michigan illustrate what becomes possible when CPR skills are taught before they are needed.

— Meng Yang, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
Cheung said professionalism, patience and strong communication skills are particularly important for applicants, as is the ability to offer constructive criticism to students.

— Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of skill

Noun

What readers are saying The comments reflect a wide appreciation for walking as a beneficial activity for creativity, problem-solving, and mental clarity.

— Richard Sima, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2026
The safe and predictable format and approach to creativity that was needed to broaden appeal to advertisers.

— William Daddi, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of creativity

Noun

But the tireless churn of his storytelling, picking up and depositing little clues of what came before, is the mark of an auteur who has barely scratched the surface of his prowess.

— Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
The category allows De Beers London to demonstrate its technical prowess while cultivating relationships with its most discerning clients.

— Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of prowess

Noun

But the talent for going viral that helped Ramaswamy gain a national profile has proved less successful this election cycle in Ohio.

— Philip Elliott, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
The right person would ably balance greenlight authority with maintaining Netflix’s biggest talent relationships.

— Josef Adalian, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of talent

Noun

Since the second Inauguration, the Trumps and their satraps have operated with all the commercial cunning of the Corleone family; the White House is their front, their Genco Pura Olive Oil Company.

— David Remnick, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026
Rhaenyra also dismisses Mysaria, a wise move carried out in a very unwise manner, given the woman’s cunning.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of cunning

Browse Nearby Words

cleverly

cleverness

cliché

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“Cleverness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cleverness. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of cleverness

noun

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