competently

adverb

Definition of competentlynext
as in masterfully
in a skillful or expert manner performed the piece at least competently, if not superbly

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 competently But their ability to competently run a city, connecting directly with local needs, often sets them up for national politics. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026 Nor does Moshe appear a natural action director, as the setpieces here are just competently staged rather than harrowing, and overall tension goes slack on occasion. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026 While there are lots of things most people can competently do on their own, filing for bankruptcy is not one of them. — Jay L. Zagorsky, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 2026 Final Thoughts The Beatbot Sora 70 can competently clean your pool's floor, walls, platforms, and surface. — John Mihaly, PC Magazine, 17 Aug. 2026 Unless operated competently such missiles may be worse than useless. — David Hambling, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026 The real issue is whether AI is being implemented transparently, responsibly and accountably — and whether regulators themselves understand these systems well enough to govern them competently. — Sreedhar Potarazu, Baltimore Sun, 14 June 2026 Mark Beare, head of consumer business at cybersecurity firm Malwarebytes, also notes that employees would need to have confidence that an AI agent responding to coworkers and clients on their behalf can be counted on to act competently and professionally. — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 8 June 2026 Why can’t San Francisco’s officials competently replace its trash cans? — Steven Greenhut, Washington Post, 6 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for competently
  1. masterfully
  2. skillfully
  3. well
  4. capably
  5. proficiently
  6. neatly
  7. ably
  8. expertly
Adverb
  • Ahluwalia x Puma Blending the designer’s Indian-Nigerian culture with Puma’s legendary sportswear designs, this partnership masterfully resulted in a colorful, chic athleisure capsule.
    — Virginia Corneli, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The Soundcore Select 4 Go pairs an adventure-proof IP67 design with exceptional 20-hour battery life masterfully.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of masterfully
Adverb
  • When daily life can feel quite bruising and fractious, documentaries skillfully encourage us to let our guard down and connect with real-life stories and people… sometimes challenging, often invigorating, and always meaningful.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Baseball serves as a test platform for these underlying capabilities, with dexterous manipulation, the ability to handle objects skillfully and reliably, remaining the larger objective.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of skillfully
Adverb
  • The Horned Frogs also have one of the country’s best tight ends in Kari Ashley, who has been a breakout star.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The cosmonauts plonked down on November 19th, 1965 in the Midlands market town of Rugby, a cultural backwater best known for the sport, the school, and wartime poet Rupert Brooke, in that order.
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of well
Adverb
  • The rest of the filmmaking, too, is content to coast at a lower difficulty setting, from the proficient but anonymously taupe lensing by master DP Robert Elswit to an untested ensemble of ever-watchable actors playing capably to type.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
  • And there was also a favorable response on Saturday to Amazon/MGM’s Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, an action-thriller led capably by Mahershala Ali.
    — Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of capably
Adverb
  • Buzzard is in exceptional shape for his age, with teammate Max Thomas noticing his ability to keep up proficiently during team sprints.
    — Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The initiative comes as only about 35% of APS third graders are reading proficiently.
    — Jamal Goss, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of proficiently
Adverb
  • What makes the guest list truly striking is its refusal to stay neatly within the lines of traditional fashion.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Although System of a Down is often grouped with the nu metal bands that dominated heavy music at the time, including Korn and Limp Bizkit, Malakian never saw the band as fitting neatly into any genre.
    — Alex Distefano, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of neatly
Adverb
  • Still The Hairy Ape is, in one sense, a long, furious solo — a man pounding his head against a piano while accompanied by the orchestra — and Beavers ably carries its weight through to the finale.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Zeller sets this up ably by incorporating the sledgehammer blows of the builder hired by Toby into percussive passages of Volker Bertelmann’s ominous score.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of ably
Adverb
  • Kelela expertly navigated this conversation while promoting her immersive New Avatar, which surveys indie rock, shoegaze and grunge from an R&B vantage point.
    — Kyle Denis, Billboard, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Setting the shifting moods expertly is Michael Giacchino’s score that nicely avoids the clichés of the genre(s) while still honoring them.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of expertly

Browse Nearby Words

competent
competently
competes
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Cite this Entry

“Competently.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/competently. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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