1
as in virtuoso
accomplished with trained ability
a luthier whose deft craftsmanship is prized by violinists the world over
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dextrous
skillful with the hands
the deft jeweler quickly attached the diamond to its mount on the gold band
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deft
The fish-out-of-water comedy costarred Sam Shepard and reminded audiences of Keaton’s deft skills at leading a movie that mixed the funny with the dramatic and thought-provoking.
—
Dan Heching, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025
Despite the Blue Jays adding four runs to their 2-1 lead in the 3rd, the entertainer’s deft touch seemingly rubbed off on the home team, which was facing elimination.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Vogt is all but certain to win again, despite Hinch’s deft handling of the Tigers’ tricky platoons across the board.
—Ryan Ford, Freep.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Here, her deft manipulation of form and language captures how alien—even, perhaps, how interesting—ordinary life with a chronic illness, in some cases, can be.
—Bekah Waalkes, The Atlantic, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deft
Dan Heching, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025
Despite the Blue Jays adding four runs to their 2-1 lead in the 3rd, the entertainer’s deft touch seemingly rubbed off on the home team, which was facing elimination.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Vogt is all but certain to win again, despite Hinch’s deft handling of the Tigers’ tricky platoons across the board.
—Ryan Ford, Freep.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Here, her deft manipulation of form and language captures how alien—even, perhaps, how interesting—ordinary life with a chronic illness, in some cases, can be.
—Bekah Waalkes, The Atlantic, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deft
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deft
Adjective
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Kirk Baxter’s arrhythmic cutting is designed around quicksilver shifts that, along with Barry Ackroyd’s restlessly attentive, mostly handheld camerawork, allow Bigelow to redirect our attention with virtuoso command.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Regardless, what’s left is an undeniably skillful and often thrilling performance, wrapped in a clever script.—
Michelle F. Solomon,
Miami Herald,
21 Oct. 2025
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The ability to win puck battles in dirty areas and make skillful plays in tight spaces is still there.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Moses is only 27 but is widely regarded as one of the UK’s most prolific and skilled contemporary filmmakers.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
20 Oct. 2025
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Much of Moreas’s difficulty stems from a shrinking pool of skilled labor in the health care workforce.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Thanks to the masterful intervention of designer Petr Grigorash, the vintage decor of this 807-square-foot home in a small village near Como offers a fresh interpretation of a certain Northern Italian classicism.—
Valentina Raggi,
Architectural Digest,
20 Oct. 2025
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The first Universal Frankenstein movie to be produced after James Whale’s masterful diptych loses Colin Clive as Henry Frankenstein, jumping ahead to his adult son Wolf (Basil Rathbone) returning to his ancestral home, where the resentful villagers give him the cold shoulder.—
Rory Doherty,
Vulture,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Michelle is more cunning, figuring out how to play these two to her whims, while Teddy struggles to prove her extraterrestrial origins.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
24 Oct. 2025
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Your words can be sharp and cunning today.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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While those connotations may have long since lost their relevance, contemporary designers have been embracing lace more than ever recently, filling collections in New York Bridal Fashion Week with beautiful gowns crafted in the delicate, classic material.—
Shelby Wax,
Vogue,
23 Oct. 2025
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She was elegantly dressed in a cream coat dress adorned with delicate embroidery, paired with matching heels and a coordinating clutch bag.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Named Aero Hand Open, the TetherIA’s open-source, underactuated robotic hand is meant to solve the robotic industry’s hardest problem, dexterous manipulation.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
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Its seven-degree-of-freedom robotic arm is paired with dexterous hands that can sense pressure changes and perform delicate movements.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Plus, an expert PEOPLE editor answers the burning question of the week, and one of our favorite stars joins us for a sitdown.—
Staff Author Updated,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
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For full daily and monthly horoscopes as well as expert readings, see our full Horoscopes experience.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deft.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deft. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
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