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
Even as tutor modes are refined and improved, students have to actively select that mode and, for now, also have to play along, deftly providing context and guiding the chatbot away from worthless, low-level questions or sycophancy.
—
Brian W. Stone, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025
The Verdict The Langham deftly balances history with relevance.
—Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Riefenstahl deftly undertakes the type of media autopsy usually reserved for the most fiendish of true crime cover-ups.
—Daniel Jonah Wolpert, NPR, 8 Sep. 2025
And the film turns into a deftly layered and at moments nearly philosophical head-spinner.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 7 Sep. 2025
Call quality is good; the Pixel 10 keeps voices clear while deftly removing background noise.
—PC Magazine, 4 Sep. 2025
The interplay between raw audio and physical reconstructions is deftly and unobtrusively handled.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2025
The film culminates with an escalating parade of pain inflicted on Marv and Harry, and John deftly varied the pace and intensity of his cartooning — with heavy use of pizzicato strings, triangle, and legato bass clarinets — to match the progression.
—Tim Greiving, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Stork’s production is a very solid staging, hampered a tad by the size of the Paramount Theatre, but deftly cast with performers like Andrea Prestinario.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Brian W. Stone, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025
The Verdict The Langham deftly balances history with relevance.
—Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Riefenstahl deftly undertakes the type of media autopsy usually reserved for the most fiendish of true crime cover-ups.
—Daniel Jonah Wolpert, NPR, 8 Sep. 2025
And the film turns into a deftly layered and at moments nearly philosophical head-spinner.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 7 Sep. 2025
Call quality is good; the Pixel 10 keeps voices clear while deftly removing background noise.
—PC Magazine, 4 Sep. 2025
The interplay between raw audio and physical reconstructions is deftly and unobtrusively handled.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2025
The film culminates with an escalating parade of pain inflicted on Marv and Harry, and John deftly varied the pace and intensity of his cartooning — with heavy use of pizzicato strings, triangle, and legato bass clarinets — to match the progression.
—Tim Greiving, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Stork’s production is a very solid staging, hampered a tad by the size of the Paramount Theatre, but deftly cast with performers like Andrea Prestinario.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deftly
Adverb
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Pascoal performed masterfully on keyboards, saxophones, bass clarinet, accordion and an array of other instruments.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Sep. 2025
-
These numbers may seem small, but their effect is profound, especially when wielded by longtime Aston design chief Marek Reichman and his team, who have masterfully created a timeless brand language that continues to evolve and feel au courant while never capitulating to trends.—
Brett Berk,
Robb Report,
3 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Early buzz is that Apatow skillfully navigates both the humor and the heartbreak.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
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Managing conflicts skillfully today can lay the foundation for deeper resilience, better processes and more innovative thinking down the road.—
Will Fan,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Adolescence was a big winner on the night, also taking best limited series as well as Erin Doherty winning best supporting actress and Owen Cooper becoming the youngest-ever winner for best supporting actor in a limited series.—
Toni Fitzgerald,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Rogen is best known for his comedy roles in Knocked-Up, Superbad, Pineapple Express, 40-Year-Old-Virgin.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
15 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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The Radley team has also created a tabloid-style newspaper with an artfully blurry image of Beka and her Romilly bag on the cover, and an interview inside.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
9 Sep. 2025
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Inside the airy, tiled space in the Wedgewood Houston neighborhood, diners linger over baskets of still-warm croissants, artfully poured café au lait, tuna carpaccio, and a dangerously good French toast topped with berries and chantilly cream.—
Rai Mincey,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Eighteen years on from her international debut in Osaka in 2007, her final bow taking place in Tokyo means Fraser-Pryce’s career is neatly bookended by World Championships in Japan.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
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Solving Messy, Unclear Problems Not every challenge at work comes neatly labeled with instructions.—
Sho Dewan,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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In this case, the characters’ back stories are knitted together with an impactful range of lyrics that Swindley has mined from the country music canon, repeatedly adroitly interweaving song lyrics and dialogue.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
4 Aug. 2025
Adverb
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Because contemporary phantoms of Richard Mille, Patek Philippe, and Rolex are expertly constructed to entice even the most discerning eye, provenance is crucial.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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Below, a break down of the awkward interview and how Edebiri handled it expertly.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
8 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Even if the free-agent linebacker addition isn’t back from a quad injury for Week 3 AFC against the Chargers, Justin Strnad filled in more than capably in Week 1, recording five tackles and a sack against Tennessee.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
8 Sep. 2025
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The Netherlands international performed capably in the middle of the back three, flanked by Luke Shaw on the left and Leny Yoro to his right.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deftly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deftly. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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