1
as in virtuoso
accomplished with trained ability
a luthier whose deft craftsmanship is prized by violinists the world over
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in skillful
skillful with the hands
the deft jeweler quickly attached the diamond to its mount on the gold band
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 deft
Handling such weighty concepts, a less deft hand might have lapsed into melodrama.
—
Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 6 Apr. 2026
But Paul Anthony Kelly is a less deft actor than Pidgeon, and he is given material that adheres even closer to the surface of the legend.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
And as an accomplished narrative filmmaker and documentarian, Loznitsa unveils deft homages to Jacques Tati and Roy Andersson, deadpan directors who reduce human behavior to its base movements.
—Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
But then, over the course of several viewings, new recognitions dawned—on the social contract, illusions of class, and the artist’s deft use of color in this gorgeous study of red, white, and blue.
—Laura Brown, Artforum, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deft
Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 6 Apr. 2026
But Paul Anthony Kelly is a less deft actor than Pidgeon, and he is given material that adheres even closer to the surface of the legend.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
And as an accomplished narrative filmmaker and documentarian, Loznitsa unveils deft homages to Jacques Tati and Roy Andersson, deadpan directors who reduce human behavior to its base movements.
—Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
But then, over the course of several viewings, new recognitions dawned—on the social contract, illusions of class, and the artist’s deft use of color in this gorgeous study of red, white, and blue.
—Laura Brown, Artforum, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deft
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deft
Adjective
-
The teacher was Orlandi himself, both an authority on the history of the instrument and a virtuoso performer.—
Tim Parks,
New Yorker,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The French Connection is now mostly remembered for its virtuoso chase scene and Gene Hackman’s charm.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Baron was known for his skillful driving on the racetrack and his love of cruising steep canyon roads.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The invader is a skillful art restorer, Lori Butler (Michaela Coel), who’s been hired by Julian’s greedy children, Barnaby (James Corden) and Sallie (Jessica Gunning), to work, or pose, as their father’s new assistant.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The reigning National League Cy Young winner, in his first start against the Padres, was fairly masterful before departing with one out in the seventh inning after Xander Bogaerts hit the first home run off any Pirates starting pitcher this season.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The space is sexy and chic, a masterful mix of heritage style and 1970s design.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, there’s an acute shortage of skilled tradesmen around the country.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Carmago, who has a degree in ethnomusicology, is a skilled jazz player who is also adept on the four-string cavaquinho.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Moving this delicate variant to Broadway posed a risk.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
16 Apr. 2026
-
While the Chinese government has played a delicate diplomatic hand over the conflict between its biggest global rival and its closest friend in the Middle East, its people have displayed a wave of curiosity and admiration toward Iran.—
Sylvie Zhuang,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Past friends and former associates described him to me as an exceptionally cunning con man, a consummate charmer, and a womanizer.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Starring Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton, and Eric Bana, the film was shot on location in the Australian wilderness and features Theron as a grieving woman on a solo adventure who becomes the target of a cunning killer (Egerton) in a twisted game of cat-and-mouse.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Prosecutors have expert medical witnesses, and Judge Jan Alexander provided some guardrails about their testimony Monday afternoon.—
Mike Hellgren,
CBS News,
20 Apr. 2026
-
For full daily and monthly horoscopes as well as expert readings, see our full Horoscopes experience.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Paul, who co-created the Apple TV+ series and drew from season one for the musical’s script and score, performs a dexterous trick, poking fun at the form’s many ridiculous tropes with an unmistakably affectionate hand.—
Naveen Kumar,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Like Dijon, svn4vr uses a dexterous, soulful rasp to fight for emotional truth from within songs that occupy shifting senses of space and bear the seams of digital assembly.—
H.D. Angel,
Pitchfork,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deft.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deft. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
