The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word OUTSMART
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
O
U
T
S
M
A
R
T
More clues leading to the result OUTSMART
- Where French prostitute entertains Sergeant-Major Fox
- Take for a ride via trams?
- Better rail transport brought back, impossible earlier
- Best to appear in public well-dressed
- Best in print, stylish
- Show more cleverness than son in public place of trade
- Exposed well-dressed fool
- Best old-fashioned vehicles making a comeback
- d. Fox exposes rise of public transport vehicle
- Pull a fast one on exposed sting
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Be too clever" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case be too clever = outsmart.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does OUTSMART mean?
OUTSMART verb- To beat in a competition of wits.