English Reference
Idiom idiom

sharp cookie


One who is intelligent, bright, or sharp; especially, one who can identify attempts to deceive or mislead.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

She's a sharp cookie and saw through his lies.

CONTEXTUAL

The lawyer was a sharp cookie who quickly noticed the contradiction in the witness's statement.

COMPLEX

A sharp cookie who had survived three corporate takeovers, she immediately recognized the veiled threat beneath his polite words.


Related idioms4entries
  1. 01

    Oreo cookie

    A black person that appears to the community to embody the social and cultural features of a white person

  2. 02

    sharp elbows

    A willingness to sacrifice others to advance one's own ambitions.

  3. 03

    sharp tongue

    The practice or characteristic of speaking to others in a harsh, critical, or insulting manner.

  4. 04

    tough cookies

    Too bad (for one); the outcome that one desires is not likely to change.

Last updated August 10, 2026