whip-smart

adjective

ˈ(h)wip-ˌsmärt How to pronounce whip-smart (audio)
variants or less commonly whip smart or whipsmart
: very smart or clever
whip-smart dialogue
But underestimate or patronise Jessica at your peril. She's whip-smart, ultra-ambitious and brutally honest.—Kerry Potter
He is also whip smart and tenacious, driven and efficient, typical of the breed so often attracted to academic medical research.—Lisa Belkin

Examples of whip-smart in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Sophia is a whip-smart six-year-old, lovely but familiar. — Literary Hub, 7 May 2026 This news might come to many fans' surprise—but the sassy, whip-smart, and rebellious feminist Eloise Bridgerton does not stay single. — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 31 Jan. 2026 The whip-smart, late-20th-century retelling of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew is one of the most epochal teen rom-coms. — James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Jan. 2026 Trading in her girl-next-door persona, Snow delivered three vastly different performances over the past year, each featuring a whip-smart woman fighting for her own survival. — Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for whip-smart

Word History

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of whip-smart was in 1942

Rhymes for whip-smart

See All Rhymes for whip-smart

Browse Nearby Words

whip shot
whip-smart
whip snake
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Whip-smart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whip-smart. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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