| Clue | Source | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Smartened up | Wall Street Journal | 29 Oct 2024 |
| Finally saw through a deception | New York Times | 20 Oct 2024 |
| Became alert when wit goes off | ||
| Smartened up | Wall Street Journal | 01 Jul 2023 |
| Cottoned on (to) | New York Times | 25 Sep 2022 |
| Caught on | ||
| Woke up and smelled the coffee | ||
| Was smart-alecky | ||
| Finally learned |