masterstroke

noun

mas·​ter·​stroke ˈma-stər-ˌstrōk How to pronounce masterstroke (audio)
Synonyms of masterstrokenext
: a masterly performance or move

Examples of masterstroke in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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In hindsight, making the character so toothless in the debut episode was a masterstroke. Richard Edwards, Space.com, 13 Feb. 2026 They weren’t hammered around the park by Smith or Khawaja, but Carse’s full toss to remove the latter was hardly a masterstroke, and England needed better at what was a crucial point in the match. Tim Spiers, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026 The uniform proved a masterstroke. Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 12 Dec. 2025 At a moment when Trump is questioning U.S. security arrangements with Europe, threatening to reduce the American military presence there and demanding that Europe pay for its own defense, his backing of the European far right at first appears a strategic masterstroke. Ivan Krastev, Foreign Affairs, 27 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for masterstroke

Word History

First Known Use

1679, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of masterstroke was in 1679

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Cite this Entry

“Masterstroke.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/masterstroke. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.

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