as in masterfully
in a skillful or expert manner
performed the piece at least competently, if not superbly
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Recent Examples of competently
The selling point of the Conjurings is that they are competently made haunted house movies that reliably feature good set pieces.
—
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
The canine, named Charlie, was captured competently pulling the cover off an outdoor paddling pool, all by himself while his owner was away.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Newsom is a lackluster governor who has doubled down on progressive policies and has failed to competently address California’s myriad crises.
—Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 22 Aug. 2025
The complaints also said Streich failed to act competently, failed to return the client's property, charged unreasonable fees and provided false information to the Board of Professional Responsibility.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Aug. 2025
For example, those remote supervisors will need training, but that’s likely to be far less extensive and costly than the training required to competently fly an aircraft.
—IEEE Spectrum, 17 June 2025
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
The canine, named Charlie, was captured competently pulling the cover off an outdoor paddling pool, all by himself while his owner was away.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Newsom is a lackluster governor who has doubled down on progressive policies and has failed to competently address California’s myriad crises.
—Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 22 Aug. 2025
The complaints also said Streich failed to act competently, failed to return the client's property, charged unreasonable fees and provided false information to the Board of Professional Responsibility.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Aug. 2025
For example, those remote supervisors will need training, but that’s likely to be far less extensive and costly than the training required to competently fly an aircraft.
—IEEE Spectrum, 17 June 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for competently
Adverb
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The Zone of Interest Jonathan Glazer's unsettling historical drama masterfully employs sound — which earned it an Oscar in 2024 — and what remains unseen to depict the horrors of the Holocaust.—
Charlotte Walsh,
People.com,
1 Sep. 2025
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Keen-eyed viewers will spot bits of the city's culture and history masterfully weaved into the entire show, from paintings on the walls by local artists to filming locations to its needle drops.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Adverb
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Managing conflicts skillfully today can lay the foundation for deeper resilience, better processes and more innovative thinking down the road.—
Will Fan,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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Hill and Giler skillfully avoid virtually every sports movie cliché while still delivering the genre’s rousing satisfactions — this is a spectacularly fun movie in spite of its often grim subject matter.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
1 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Miller often called well into the evening, Dudek said, to chastise him about anything the press had reported that day that had caught the administration off guard.—
Eli Hager,
ProPublica,
8 Sep. 2025
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Natural fabrics like cotton and wool, however, are best left to the pros.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
8 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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The Netherlands international performed capably in the middle of the back three, flanked by Luke Shaw on the left and Leny Yoro to his right.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
21 Aug. 2025
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Rocky capably steps up to Washington’s loose but intense actorly flow, and contributes a great song too.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
14 Aug. 2025
Adverb
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Over 75% of the student body at Eastway speaks a first language other than English, with many students who do not yet speak English proficiently.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Sep. 2025
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In an October news release announcing the partnership, district officials said the long-term goal will focus on ensuring all students can read proficiently by third grade and pave the way for success for the rest of their academic careers.—
Lina Ruiz,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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This little case keeps rings, necklaces, and earrings neatly tucked away, so nothing gets tangled—or worse, left behind.—
Kayla Kitts,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Sep. 2025
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Despite the glossy subject matter, Winocour neatly sidesteps clichés, instead searching for quiet moments that give the story emotional resonance.—
Joelle Diderich,
Footwear News,
5 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Can former Broncos passing game coordinator John Morton ably replace Ben Johnson as Jared Goff’s offensive coordinator?—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
29 Aug. 2025
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A couple years ago, Lalario opened Darkalino’s in Pioneer Square, a salute to Old School Italian-American cuisine with chef Sean Russo ably running the kitchen.—
Leslie Kelly,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Adverb
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That opened up a shooting chance, which Wolff finished expertly.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
8 Sep. 2025
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This pattern was expertly observed by Amorim during his first press conference.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Competently.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/competently. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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