as in masterfully
in a skillful or expert manner
ably maneuvered the boat up to the dock
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ably
Sherri arose in 2022 after Shepherd ably filled in for Wendy Williams at the end of that show’s run.
—
Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 21 Feb. 2026
Marcus Smart, who didn’t take a shot in the first three quarters, ably stepped into an open corner three in the fourth for the first of his seven points down the stretch.
—Dan Woike, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2026
And Yokohama ably depicts a privileged young man who rightly views his good fortune as both blessing and curse.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
Walker replaced Smith in the post and ably picked up the slack.
—Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ably
Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 21 Feb. 2026
Marcus Smart, who didn’t take a shot in the first three quarters, ably stepped into an open corner three in the fourth for the first of his seven points down the stretch.
—Dan Woike, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2026
And Yokohama ably depicts a privileged young man who rightly views his good fortune as both blessing and curse.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
Walker replaced Smith in the post and ably picked up the slack.
—Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ably
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ably
Adverb
-
Drew Brees masterfully rallied Purdue from an 18-point deficit for a 32-31 Boilermakers win in October.—
Scott Dochterman,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
But Araki has shaded in the margins masterfully, with vivid supporting turns by Chase Sui Wonders, Daveed Diggs and the now-ubiquitous Charli XCX.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Adverb
-
Soto has capably shifted into the closer role, moving Dennis Santana into setup duty.—
Stephen J. Nesbitt,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
-
Both machines can be configured with enough memory to capably run large language models locally, with less reliance on the cloud.—
Chris Welch,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
Adverb
-
Van Dyk shows their arrival from the perspective of the local residents, skillfully conveying the atmosphere particular to the early stages of an occupation.—
Sophie Monks Kaufman,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
-
Schmit skillfully weaves in mental health and the quiet, complicated calculus of coming out in a hyper-public sport.—
Erin La Rosa,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Adverb
-
That doesn’t bode well for summer road trip plans.—
Byron Hurd,
The Drive,
15 May 2026
-
Several other concerns were raised during the roughly three-hour hearing, including questions about how to best protect visitors and participants from federal immigration raids.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
Adverb
-
While the Tory customer of the past felt neatly aligned with the country club aesthetic, the Tory customer today embodies a modern sensibility of polish and dynamism.—
Viv Chen,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
Trump’s and Harp’s style fits neatly into the ideal image of the world’s female political leaders, including those in China, Wu said.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
14 May 2026
Adverb
-
Why can’t San Francisco’s officials competently replace its trash cans?—
Steven Greenhut,
Washington Post,
6 May 2026
-
Outlays old and new need to be justified and competently managed.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
17 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
All three expertly play two roles seamlessly.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
-
Sheryl Underwood expertly executed the punchlines and made the culture the star of her set.—
Malina Saval,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Adverb
-
In the West Village apartment of Alex Bass, a burl cabinet deftly divides the kitchen from the breakfast nook.—
Rachel Davies,
Architectural Digest,
11 May 2026
-
The debate raging about whether the 49ers reached for players or drafted deftly will be settled in the years to come.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ably.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ably. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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