as in masterfully
in a skillful or expert manner
the company spokesperson deftly sidestepped the investigative reporter's questions
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Recent Examples of deftly
His new persona as a fighting moderate, a Democrat in tune with the country’s shifting desires and ruthless toward the man at the top, deftly speaks to the needs of a party desperate to regain the White House.
—
Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
Perhaps the Dolphins need a new public face such as Sillman or Garfinkel, who deftly handles media sessions for F1 racing.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2026
Gorman earned the deep respect of Wall Street during his tenure at Morgan Stanley, which included deftly steering the investment firm out of the Great Recession and bolstering its businesses and workplace culture.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
Reddy—who is, like Fennelly, a talented poet in addition to being a nonfiction writer—deftly interweaves research and memoir in sparkling, compelling, and often funny prose.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
Dermot Mulroney appears in a surprise role that doubles as a predictable but enjoyable soap opera reveal, and the opening scene deftly introduces Cyler’s Wazi as a lovable underdog.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 16 Jan. 2026
Navigating around multiple defenders with the puck on his tape in the Vegas zone, Nylander deftly set up Morgan Rielly for the Leafs’ first goal.
—Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Primo left the seams showing on his best beats, deftly combining chunky sample chops and simple, swinging, heavy-bag drums into herky-jerky, screw-face symphonies.
—Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 8 Jan. 2026
But none of these enticements can conceal the absence of scripts and direction that set a distinctive mood, then deftly navigate every deliberate shift.
—Judy Berman, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
Perhaps the Dolphins need a new public face such as Sillman or Garfinkel, who deftly handles media sessions for F1 racing.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2026
Gorman earned the deep respect of Wall Street during his tenure at Morgan Stanley, which included deftly steering the investment firm out of the Great Recession and bolstering its businesses and workplace culture.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
Reddy—who is, like Fennelly, a talented poet in addition to being a nonfiction writer—deftly interweaves research and memoir in sparkling, compelling, and often funny prose.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
Dermot Mulroney appears in a surprise role that doubles as a predictable but enjoyable soap opera reveal, and the opening scene deftly introduces Cyler’s Wazi as a lovable underdog.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 16 Jan. 2026
Navigating around multiple defenders with the puck on his tape in the Vegas zone, Nylander deftly set up Morgan Rielly for the Leafs’ first goal.
—Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Primo left the seams showing on his best beats, deftly combining chunky sample chops and simple, swinging, heavy-bag drums into herky-jerky, screw-face symphonies.
—Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 8 Jan. 2026
But none of these enticements can conceal the absence of scripts and direction that set a distinctive mood, then deftly navigate every deliberate shift.
—Judy Berman, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deftly
Adverb
-
Instead, my research documented how LBJ masterfully used the questionable attacks as a persuasively powerful pretext to convince Congress to pass the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution by a near unanimous vote; only one senator voted against it.—
Richard Cherwitz,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Jan. 2026
-
An early architect of the cult of celebrity, Bardot masterfully harnessed the energy of the Swinging Sixties, framing herself as a free-spirited embodiment of a changing world.—
Isobel Thompson,
Vogue,
28 Dec. 2025
Adverb
-
Either way, these are films that skillfully utilize the holiday to explore the human need for connection.—
Kate Stroup,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Dec. 2025
-
In the annals of moronic behavior, driving forty minutes out of your way in the middle of the night in order to secretly and skillfully cut down everybody’s favorite tree does not come up.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Adverb
-
While flat structures work well in many systems, one-dimensional forms offer advantages in applications that require fast transport or mechanical reinforcement.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Jan. 2026
-
If its welfare state is too cushy, or its climate policies too green – well, nobody’s perfect.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
The scenes at the reunion are simply but artfully shot in black and white, including a revealing conversation the men’s wives and partners have about living with them that gently expands the perspectives brought into the film’s portrait.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The model must know the rules well enough to know how to break them artfully.—
Amir Husain,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Dooley did not fit neatly into either camp.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Symmetrical Throw Pillows Having two identical pillows placed neatly on either side of a sofa is the safest—and most uninteresting—choice.—
Angelika Pokovba,
Martha Stewart,
28 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
The therapist should adroitly excavate what the AI has told the client.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
But VanDerveer adroitly uses timeouts for rest breaks.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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His ability to play with genre in the most unexpected way shines through in this gripping story which expertly subverts your expectations in the most thrilling and surprising way.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
29 Jan. 2026
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This wooden armoire makes a statement in any room while expertly disguising so much additional storage space.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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Newsom has capably sensed what Democrats want right now, and is delivering it with a roguish charisma.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2026
-
While Harmon has capably knocked down her midrange jumper lately, shooting guard Jordan Lee is in the midst of slump.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deftly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deftly. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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