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
Based on a game McCartney played as a child, the chant-along chorus is infectious on its own, but the rest of the song is indicative of a genius of melody whose touch remained deft 60 years into a career.
—
Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 18 June 2026
With a deft hand and remarkable visual memory, the young Church was a natural.
—Susan Tallman, The Atlantic, 13 June 2026
Here, Elliott Gould brings a deft touch to his hang-dog detective Philip Marlowe, moving with a lightness that's hard to pin down but is undeniably comic.
—Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026
This is in no small part due, Rahma believes, to the deft editing that balances just on the edge of the platform, so to speak, to distill ten or fifteen minutes of conversation down into a reel or a short-length amount of video.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for deft
Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 18 June 2026
With a deft hand and remarkable visual memory, the young Church was a natural.
—Susan Tallman, The Atlantic, 13 June 2026
Here, Elliott Gould brings a deft touch to his hang-dog detective Philip Marlowe, moving with a lightness that's hard to pin down but is undeniably comic.
—Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026
This is in no small part due, Rahma believes, to the deft editing that balances just on the edge of the platform, so to speak, to distill ten or fifteen minutes of conversation down into a reel or a short-length amount of video.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for deft
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deft
Adjective
-
Thanks to more than 200 years of intense and virtuoso scientific work, what were once valid or at least plausible concerns and objections to vaccines have been overcome.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
A lot of the movie feels like a virtuoso chase sequence, people barreling down the road, guns blazing.—
Joshua Rothkopf,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
What followed in the 20th minute, though, is the kind of end-to-end attack that is the hallmark of the American game, with a skillful finish that is decidedly uncommon from a USA star.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
-
The remarks not only referred to the aesthetics of the game – tedious matches devoid of skillful merit that were unpleasing to watch.—
Cesar R. Torres,
The Conversation,
26 May 2026
Adjective
-
Alongside dramatic hats and refined outfits ready to pass the strict entrance checks, masterful hairstyles and sophisticated makeup are on full display.—
Laura Scafati,
Vanity Fair,
20 June 2026
-
In his masterful victory over the Phillies, Misiorowski faced the minimum 27 batters.—
Bernie Pleskoff,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
Blending ego and empathy, Chung delivered a skilled performance that may well win over Emmy voters in the supporting actor (drama) category this cycle.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
19 June 2026
-
In addition to being a great student, Maddie is a skilled softball player, which her mom Jamie Lynn bragged about in May 2022.—
Sydni Ellis,
PEOPLE,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
This is a delicate and dicey subject to even bring up, since the industry right now is in the grip of multiple perceptions and anxieties about what AI portends for the future of entertainment.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
18 June 2026
-
But as the djinn becomes embodied, the delicate balance between the real and the supernatural starts to falter.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
Seehorn’s indelible portrayal of the cunning Kim Wexler transformed the character from one-off love interest to irreplaceable mainstay, and thus, a partnership was born.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
13 June 2026
-
But statistics fail to convey the humanity of yard sales—the caprice, whimsy, and high spirits, as well as the cunning, weirdness, and heartbreak, that charge and thicken the air when two people agree to perform an off-the-books monetary transaction.—
Caity Weaver,
The Atlantic,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
For full daily and monthly horoscopes as well as expert readings, see our full Horoscopes experience.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
-
Hedge funds are most attractive to investors when the over-all market performs poorly, as bruised investors seek ways to protect themselves against another crash by putting their money in the hands of people supposedly expert at managing risk.—
Gary Sernovitz,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
The platform combines autonomous navigation with dexterous manipulation, enabling it to transport materials, interact with workers, and perform precision tasks in industries such as semiconductor manufacturing, electronics assembly, and automotive production.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
15 June 2026
-
Beyond remote control, the team sees a path toward using the wristband to build huge datasets of human motion that could eventually enable humanoids to learn dexterous tasks without human guidance.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deft.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deft. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
