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.
Suddenly I realized the learning opportunity that had been quietly on offer in all those place names, if only I’d been street-smart.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
"But I wanted people to know that if I - an educated, urban woman who considers herself to be street-smart - could get scammed, it could happen to anyone," Shrivastav says.
From BBC ● May 18, 2026
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
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.
