Synonym Chooser

How is the word adroit different from other adjectives like it?

The words deft and dexterous are common synonyms of adroit. While all three words mean "ready and skilled in physical movement," adroit implies dexterity but usually also stresses resourcefulness or artfulness or inventiveness.

the magician's adroit response to the failure of her prop won applause

When might deft be a better fit than adroit?

Although the words deft and adroit have much in common, deft emphasizes lightness, neatness, and sureness of touch or handling.

a surgeon's deft manipulation of the scalpel

In what contexts can dexterous take the place of adroit?

The words dexterous and adroit can be used in similar contexts, but dexterous implies expertness with consequent facility and quickness in manipulation.

unrolled the sleeping bag with a dexterous toss

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of adroit The fashion house is known for its adroit use of off-kilter patterns, which, in the skilled hands of Risso, convey a cerebral, never-twee aesthetic that is no less reflected in this new line. Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2023 These mother-and-son exchanges rinse and repeat in the first stages of the storytelling, under the adroit direction of Rob Lutfy, mingling tension and absurdity. David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 June 2023 Six months ago, his historic landslide victory was widely lauded, viewed as the triumph of a politically adroit change-maker whose centrist policies had swept him to power. Dan Bilefsky, New York Times, 7 May 2023 The Premonitions Bureau, an adroit debut from the New Yorker staff writer Sam Knight, draws us into a world not-that-far-gone in which psychic phenomena were yet untamed by science and uncanny sensations still whispered of the supernatural, of cosmic secrets. Ian Beacock, The New Republic, 25 Aug. 2022 See All Example Sentences for adroit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adroit
Adjective
  • 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
  • Kayla Poirier didn’t get the glory that comes associated with scoring a goal, but without a couple skillful touches by the senior, Mahtomedi would no longer have a chance to repeat as state champions.
    Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 29 Oct. 2025
  • The skillful craftsmanship of the artists is amazing, and the story is also great.
    Billboard Japan, Billboard, 28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Detroit rebounded and put together a masterful offensive performance in a win over the Washington Commanders.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles is masterful at finding ways to pressure young quarterbacks.
    Mike Jones, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • 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, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
  • For full daily and monthly horoscopes as well as expert readings, see our full Horoscopes experience.
    USA TODAY, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Lily Allen strikes a pose in a delicate lace outfit on the carpet at 2025 CFDA Fashion Awards.
    Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
  • The idea worked on paper, but in practice, the alignment was extremely delicate, and the overall setup became unstable and hard to scale.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • There are swift, serpentine vines dexterous enough to snatch Dek’s supplies; combustible little slugs that detonate like grenades when triggered; and exotic flowers that swell up and squirt paralyzing darts when something approaches.
    Peter Debruge, Variety, 4 Nov. 2025
  • 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
Adjective
  • White gave props to some other iconic duos — representing non-musical disciplines — that preceded the White Stripes onto the national artistic stage.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Beginning in 2004, the zAmya Theater Project connects communities throughout the Twin Cities to theater and artistic expression, centering on social justice, advocacy and collaboration, according to its website.
    Sophia Arndt, Twin Cities, 8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The Borg represent our fear of erasure, of disappearing into a vast, flat, and uncaring bureaucracy, and are one of modern fiction's most deft updates to the existential horror first popularized in the fiction of Franz Kafka.
    Alan Bradley, Space.com, 8 Nov. 2025
  • But instead, New York soon scored on yet another counterattack — a problem to defend for CLT FC the entire match — as Fernandez scored his second goal of the game with a deft chip over Kahlina.
    Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 8 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Adroit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adroit. Accessed 20 Nov. 2025.

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