1
as in agility
ease and grace in physical activity
the effortless deftness with which he plays the piano
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in skill
subtle or imaginative ability in inventing, devising, or executing something
with deftness and aplomb she managed to keep the bickering relatives apart for the duration of the reception
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Recent Examples of deftness
Learner Tien, with guidance from 1989 French Open champion Michael Chang, has the kind of game — sweeping, angled groundstrokes and deftness of touch — that should suit clay, but he is still getting used to its secret codes.
—
Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 25 May 2026
The term implies godlike deftness and speed but also a certain impersonal coldness — skill at the expense of passion.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026
This sky-high figure indicates the display's deftness at producing deep blacks alongside bright whites, resulting in improved image quality in both light and dark scenes.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 7 Mar. 2026
Ridge’s equal deftness at the high end and the low is one of many apparent incongruities that the winery has managed to balance comfortably.
—Senior Wine Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 24 Feb. 2026
The deftness required to nail the relentless 16th-note melodies grows more transparent when unadorned.
—Aly Eleanor, Pitchfork, 19 Feb. 2026
Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 25 May 2026
The term implies godlike deftness and speed but also a certain impersonal coldness — skill at the expense of passion.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026
This sky-high figure indicates the display's deftness at producing deep blacks alongside bright whites, resulting in improved image quality in both light and dark scenes.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 7 Mar. 2026
Ridge’s equal deftness at the high end and the low is one of many apparent incongruities that the winery has managed to balance comfortably.
—Senior Wine Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 24 Feb. 2026
The deftness required to nail the relentless 16th-note melodies grows more transparent when unadorned.
—Aly Eleanor, Pitchfork, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deftness
Noun
-
With his high school career over at Fort Worth Christian, the nation’s consensus top prep baseball prospect, Grady Emerson, has been focused on staying in shape by mixing in speed, agility, strength and hitting work.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 June 2026
-
The robot dog Inspired by the agility and balance of dogs, Spot has become one of the world’s most recognizable robots.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Researchers are already documenting how using AI tools in these contexts likely erodes critical thinking skills.—
Christian B. Miller,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
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The quality of the present ultimately does not matter, thanks to Winegar’s day job as a comedy writer and his skill for booking equally funny guests.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deftness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deftness. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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