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
Snell deftly avoided the middle of the strike zone and had the Phillies off balance all night.
—
Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Period ambiance is kept low-key, mostly relegated to deftly chosen golden oldies (including a closing Sinatra track) that abet Kim Hong-jip and Lee Jin-hee’s original score.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 20 Sep. 2025
And there’s the rub that Predators so deftly explores.
—Jason Newman, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2025
Anderson keeps all the parts moving deftly, with the help of cinematographer Michael Bauman and editor Andy Jurgensen.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 18 Sep. 2025
Tradition and opulence deftly swirl within its sumptuous interior—replete with crystal chandeliers, statuary, antiques and marble galore.
—Laura Manske, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
The book deftly balances a sparkling romance with a layered exploration of family, history and community.
—Jamie Harrow, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
On third-and-11 early in the fourth quarter, Jones deftly threw a pass over the middle that hit Jennings in stride.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 15 Sep. 2025
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
Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Period ambiance is kept low-key, mostly relegated to deftly chosen golden oldies (including a closing Sinatra track) that abet Kim Hong-jip and Lee Jin-hee’s original score.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 20 Sep. 2025
And there’s the rub that Predators so deftly explores.
—Jason Newman, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2025
Anderson keeps all the parts moving deftly, with the help of cinematographer Michael Bauman and editor Andy Jurgensen.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 18 Sep. 2025
Tradition and opulence deftly swirl within its sumptuous interior—replete with crystal chandeliers, statuary, antiques and marble galore.
—Laura Manske, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
The book deftly balances a sparkling romance with a layered exploration of family, history and community.
—Jamie Harrow, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
On third-and-11 early in the fourth quarter, Jones deftly threw a pass over the middle that hit Jennings in stride.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 15 Sep. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deftly
Adverb
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There are multiple styles too, like those in which the handles swapped leather for shiny metals, adding a contemporary twist and masterfully pairing with the models’ midi skirts, playful outerwear clad in primary colors, and preppy tailoring.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
30 Sep. 2025
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The collector sought letters, manuscripts and research by Turner's predecessors, contemporaries, champions and even an art student who could masterfully copy his pieces.—
Domenica Bongiovanni,
IndyStar,
26 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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At Alexander McQueen, Seán McGirr presented one of the favorite collections of the season, skillfully creating a beautiful collection.—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Auloea Portable Mini Car Vacuum Cleaner Tackling messes in the car isn’t always easy—awkward spaces and small nooks and crannies skillfully hide dirt, debris, and more that are nearly invisible to the naked eye.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
8 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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Those who instead see a flexible talent pool as a strategic advantage in building a dynamic and flexible company probably will fare better.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
6 Oct. 2025
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At that point, the Cowboys were well on their way to their second win of the season, defeating the New York Jets 37-22.—
Jon Machota,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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Few filmmakers have mined their own life as ruthlessly, or as artfully, as Noah Baumbach.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Oct. 2025
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Satu Aaltonen, a Lego enthusiast from Finland, used the plastic toy bricks to artfully fashion a wearable dress featuring a blue and white color palette, sleeves and a small train, along with an ornate headpiece and veil to match.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Every now and then, a sneaker arrives that refuses to fit neatly into a single category.—
Christopher Claxton,
Billboard,
10 Oct. 2025
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Halfway through the first period, Schaefer — who only turned 18 last month — neatly set up Jonathan Drouin to even the game.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 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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Those rosters from the past were mostly homegrown, with a few veterans expertly folded in.—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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My Wild Wine Women’s group visited the nicely situated tasting barn recently for wine and food pairings; the latter is all prepared by the family and expertly matched to the wines.—
Laura Ness,
Mercury News,
28 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Can Bub Carrington score more efficiently and defend more capably?—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
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But Burrow is sidelined for weeks after toe surgery, and the Broncos will see Browning in his stead on Monday night, a longtime backup who capably filled in for Burrow over seven starts in 2023.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deftly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deftly. Accessed 12 Oct. 2025.
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