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 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 Both men were adroit in working the local political system, each was fixated on focal sepsis as the cause of psychosis, and each came to lose his capacity for objectivity in the pursuit of his goal. Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 11 Jan. 2015 See All Example Sentences for adroit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adroit
Adjective
  • Finnegans Wake, in his skillful hands, is a tapestry of all the works Joyce ever wrote, the final and protracted project of a writer who could never stop thinking about Ireland.
    Eric Bulson, The Atlantic, 16 June 2025
  • Their smart, aggressive defense disorients even the smoothest spacing and the most skillful shooters.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Adjective
  • The Belgian master of minimalism and wabi-sabi forever changed the design of sofas, and his way with rough-hewn wood furniture and beams, pale linen, an earthy palette, and a masterful blending of East and West and antique and contemporary are now canonized among professionals.
    Amy Astley, Architectural Digest, 25 June 2025
  • Gill goes on to justify this support with a masterful century in front of a sell-out crowd on day one.
    Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 22 June 2025
Adjective
  • Do the expert speakers have seats and water at their disposal? Are the speaking notes or teleprompters in place?
    Adrian Dearnell, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
  • Wing will share practical tools and give expert insight on keeping families safe from online predators, cyber-bullying, digital threats and more.
    Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • Guests can pick up housemade breads, rotisserie chicken, and delicate pastries made in partnership with Healdsburg’s Quail & Condor.
    Keyla Vasconcellos, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • Fata Morgana Scabiosa is often used in cottage and wildflower gardens because of its many delicate, circular flowers and long, spindly stems.
    Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 June 2025
Adjective
  • Known for his dexterous falsetto and charisma as a performer, Christie made his name as a teen idol in the age of Frankie Valli, Frankie Avalon and Paul Anka.
    Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 20 June 2025
  • The gloves themselves are low-profile and dexterous.
    Drew Zieff, Outside Online, 11 June 2025
Adjective
  • This particular weather issue did not deter Hermés' artistic director Veronique Nichanian from proposing extremely lightweight and smooth like butter leather dressing for the upcoming season, perhaps the ultimate luxury to wear lambskins, while fabrics like linen seem obvious.
    Roxanne Robinson, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
  • The production will be directed by The Old Vic’s artistic director Matthew Warchus (Groundhog Day, Pride) in his final season before stopping down in September 2026.
    Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 30 June 2025
Adjective
  • The deft tonal shifts, nuanced storytelling, and unvarnished performances announce the arrival of a riveting actor and filmmaker.
    Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 27 June 2025
  • Cocktails are next level as well, with deft bartenders allowing the garden to govern what’s in the glass—like the Medicine Man featuring Thai basil, lemongrass, lemon and ginger all grown on property mixed with Frenet and Licor 53.
    Lanee Lee, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Adroit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adroit. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.

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