1
as in cute
making light of something usually regarded as serious or sacred
a talk show host who's known for his quick quips and smart-aleck observations on current events
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2
as in sarcastic
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings
a smart-aleck reply that was met with a slap in the face
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variants
also smart alec
as in wise guy
a person who likes to show off in a clever but annoying way
some smart aleck in the audience kept shouting clever insults at the nervous speaker
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Examples of smart-aleck in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 13 June 2024
Perry portrayed sweet, sarcastic smart aleck Chandler Bing for 10 seasons on Friends, garnering an Emmy nomination.
—EW.com, 29 Oct. 2023
In this series launch, Billingham unveils a brash — and battered — smart aleck protagonist.
—Erin Douglass, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Aug. 2023
Declan Miller – a recent widower, ballroom dancer, and devoted smart aleck – has a full plate.
—Monitor Contributors, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 July 2023
With a smart aleck’s wit and a knack for clear-eyed lyrics, the Brooklyn singer is a sympathetic narrator.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 5 May 2023
In real life, however, Mr. Jaffee was the opposite of a smart aleck: a genteel, unassuming man whose in-person humor was delivered with a wink, not a cudgel.
—Neil Genzlinger, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2023
The Idea Oven — a suggestion box for half-baked whims, inspirations and notions for new products, businesses or innovations — was a regular feature in this column at the turn of the century (yes, this century, smart aleck).
—Eric Zorn, chicagotribune.com, 30 Apr. 2021
Ellie is a smart aleck 13-year-old with a mysterious immunity to the virus.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 3 Feb. 2023
Noun
Newton scored and so did backcourt mate Cam Spencer, that different style of smart aleck, who had 20.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 13 June 2024
Perry portrayed sweet, sarcastic smart aleck Chandler Bing for 10 seasons on Friends, garnering an Emmy nomination.
—EW.com, 29 Oct. 2023
In this series launch, Billingham unveils a brash — and battered — smart aleck protagonist.
—Erin Douglass, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Aug. 2023
Declan Miller – a recent widower, ballroom dancer, and devoted smart aleck – has a full plate.
—Monitor Contributors, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 July 2023
With a smart aleck’s wit and a knack for clear-eyed lyrics, the Brooklyn singer is a sympathetic narrator.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 5 May 2023
In real life, however, Mr. Jaffee was the opposite of a smart aleck: a genteel, unassuming man whose in-person humor was delivered with a wink, not a cudgel.
—Neil Genzlinger, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2023
The Idea Oven — a suggestion box for half-baked whims, inspirations and notions for new products, businesses or innovations — was a regular feature in this column at the turn of the century (yes, this century, smart aleck).
—Eric Zorn, chicagotribune.com, 30 Apr. 2021
Ellie is a smart aleck 13-year-old with a mysterious immunity to the virus.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 3 Feb. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'smart-aleck.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Smart-aleck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smart-aleck. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
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