street-smart
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of street-smart
First recorded in 1965–70
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
New Zealand's "street-smart" cricketers can find a way to beat England and guarantee their semi-final place at the T20 World Cup, coach Rob Walters said on Thursday.
From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026
“For a kid who thought he was this tough street-smart kid from D.C., I was in for a very rude awakening,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2025
“But I think he’s a very street-smart character who’s survived in a world where people like him shouldn’t survive.”
From New York Times • Jan. 20, 2024
If they're not street-smart, they're not going to be there very long.
From Salon • Oct. 11, 2023
Even the street-smart and experienced Lamphere was not prepared for Gardner's personality or his unusual brilliance.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
