bright idea

Idioms  

1. A clever thought or plan. For example, John had a bright idea for saving space—we would each have a terminal but share the printer. This term uses bright in the sense of “intelligent” or “quick-witted” and may be employed either straightforwardly, as in the example above, or ironically, as in Jumping in the pool with your clothes on—that was some bright idea. [Late 1800s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bright idea

In 1990, a Pentagon official had a bright idea.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 2026

A bright idea - the image getting across is that William is just an ordinary Joe.

From BBC ● Nov. 30, 2025

It turned out, however, that they were not the only ones with this bright idea.

From Slate ● Dec. 15, 2024

He came up with the bright idea of claiming that the actor was of Siberian Jewish heritage when learning the truth of his identity.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2024

It hadn’t been such a bright idea after all.

From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John