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
Robotic arms deftly handle ingredients, stir sauces, and serve hot dishes through a take-out window, all without human intervention.
—
Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Nov. 2025
But Ma has been deftly drawn as a canny realist and problem solver—not the kind of person to indulge in daydreams.
—Tope Folarin, The Atlantic, 8 Nov. 2025
Andrews and Garner deftly convey years of love and loss, as well as the difficulties and rewards of moving on.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Nov. 2025
Allen deftly channels her pain into a masterful portrayal of modern love and loss, and the damaging moments in between.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 6 Nov. 2025
The film’s shots, though deftly unintrusive, are carefully composed to lend conversational moments sculptural weight.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2025
That role will catapult the Gen Zer into the fame game, but the 28-year-old creative has navigated the glare of publicity deftly thus far.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 4 Nov. 2025
Viewers are dropped into the aftermath of an unnamed personal conflict and must work out over the course of the runtime the stakes of the situation, a highwire act handled deftly by the actors whose tender performances provide the emotional impact of the film’s shattering final sequence.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
But as Plemons so deftly plays him, Teddy doesn’t seem like a lunatic.
—Jake Coyle, Boston Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Nov. 2025
But Ma has been deftly drawn as a canny realist and problem solver—not the kind of person to indulge in daydreams.
—Tope Folarin, The Atlantic, 8 Nov. 2025
Andrews and Garner deftly convey years of love and loss, as well as the difficulties and rewards of moving on.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Nov. 2025
Allen deftly channels her pain into a masterful portrayal of modern love and loss, and the damaging moments in between.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 6 Nov. 2025
The film’s shots, though deftly unintrusive, are carefully composed to lend conversational moments sculptural weight.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2025
That role will catapult the Gen Zer into the fame game, but the 28-year-old creative has navigated the glare of publicity deftly thus far.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 4 Nov. 2025
Viewers are dropped into the aftermath of an unnamed personal conflict and must work out over the course of the runtime the stakes of the situation, a highwire act handled deftly by the actors whose tender performances provide the emotional impact of the film’s shattering final sequence.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
But as Plemons so deftly plays him, Teddy doesn’t seem like a lunatic.
—Jake Coyle, Boston Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deftly
Adverb
-
Vercellino later founded The Lion Heart Experience, a touring company composed of his former students that masterfully fuses storytelling, original music, and painting to inspire self-worth in young audiences.—
Kris Ann Valdez,
Parents,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Miškinis and writer Eglė Vertelytė (who adapts Rimantas Kmita’s semi-autobiographical novel) masterfully dodge genre tropes, avoiding confining their characters to simplistic labels and keeping the focus of their arcs self-motivated.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
30 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
The hotel, which cinched a Michelin Key this year, has 65 rooms and suites that skillfully combine historic Victorian style with modern touches.—
Cat Sposato,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Nov. 2025
-
And when wielded skillfully, the very tools that mislead us can help us out of this conundrum.—
Nadav Ziv,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Strength, endurance, agility and mental toughness are tested in constantly changing combinations designed to reward the most well-rounded performers.—
NWA Democrat-Gazette,
Arkansas Online,
10 Nov. 2025
-
In Southern cuisine, a main dish is best complemented by a host of incredible side dishes.—
Patricia S York,
Southern Living,
9 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Throughout the movie, Lanthimos doles out pieces of backstory in short, dreamlike sequences that unfurl in black and white, artfully filling in the blanks of Teddy’s particular interest in Michelle.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Featuring the works of artist Michael Storrings, the puzzle artfully depicts a snowy winter scene in New York City, complete with the subway line, skyscrapers, bright yellow taxis, storefronts, and of course, pedestrians strolling the streets.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
30 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
And for looking put-together post-red-eye, the Niasso Portable Travel Steamer is $23 (originally $36) and tucks neatly into a weekender.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Nov. 2025
-
But Heberlig argued the transportation debate didn’t break down neatly along partisan lines.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
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
-
Green expertly applies fake eyelashes, thick foundation and a dessert brown eye look, while Messina goes to work piling tight curls atop my head.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Its gentle formula expertly breaks down makeup without leaving my skin feeling dry and tight.—
Clara McMahon,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Jimmy Graham and others manned the position capably over the subsequent years, but Kraft was on another level.—
Mike Sando,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
-
However, Poland stressed that its planes handled the situation capably and effectively, and that there was no further cause for concern.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deftly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deftly. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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