dexterity

noun

dek-ˈster-ə-tē How to pronounce dexterity (audio)
Definition of dexteritynext
1
as in ability
mental skill or quickness the ambassador showed great dexterity in his handling of the touchy situation

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in agility
ease and grace in physical activity the juggler needed lots of dexterity in order to keep all five balls in the air at the same time

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 dexterity With flawless timing and dexterity, the 12-year-old picker dazzled the audience, Lucy accompanying him on guitar, for roughly two minutes. — David Alm, Longreads, 1 Oct. 2026 His goal late against the Leafs was due and showed his hands and dexterity for a big man taking a puck off the wall and patting it in at the post. — Scott Wheeler, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 The patented fingertip design is rolled with no seams and provides two layers of protection without limiting your dexterity. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026 The system, currently a proof-of-concept, is designed for dexterity-intensive tasks across various industries and can be deployed on existing hardware within weeks. — John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dexterity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dexterity
  1. ability
  2. agility
  3. prowess
  4. talent
  5. proficiency
  6. finesse
  7. aptitude
  8. competence
Noun
  • Among those skills is the ability to ask meaningful questions.
    — Washington Post, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Their deployment will help military personnel maintain improved awareness of unmanned aircraft activity and strengthen the ability to identify potential threats to personnel, military installations and other critical assets.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of ability
Noun
  • That kind of co-creation requires deep reserves of speed and agility from our teams.
    — Suzanne Konstance, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • They were seen climbing, pausing, recalculating, and then moving forward again with surprising agility.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of agility
Noun
  • Additionally, much of China’s industrial policy aims to build self-reliance, which, by definition, focuses on duplicative investments that buttress domestic industrial prowess without necessarily adding efficiency.
    — Oliver Melton, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Demonstrating a big margin of victory, fundraising prowess and the electoral strength to help other Democrats win sends a strong signal to donors and party activists, analysts say.
    — Marc Levy, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of prowess
Noun
  • Other Caller alumni suggested to Semafor that the recent pivot could threaten what in the last decade has become an important talent pipeline and incubator for the right.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The annual tribute dinner format will change, too, with host Guy Fieri celebrating two decades of Food Network talent that have shaped the festival.
    — Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of talent
Noun
  • The district also saw growth in student proficiency rates, but those figures still fell below the state averages.
    — Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Presiding Judge Paul Ganim — the brother of Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim — frequently inquires about an applicant’s academic performance and proficiency in English, according to lawyers.
    — Sasha Allen, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of proficiency
Noun
  • Woven through the movie are hundreds of photographs that were shot by Richard Avedon, and there’s no question that the images are stunning, but the way the movie layers them into your consciousness is nearly musical in its finesse.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Outside of three seasons under Flores, the Dolphins tenures of Gase and McDaniel were mostly marked by finesse.
    — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of finesse
Noun
  • Even entering the simplest numbers therefore requires a lot of time and patience (as well as a certain aptitude for arithmetic).
    — Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The Duke then entered the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, where his aptitude for foreign languages was recognized with a prize.
    — Stephanie Bridger-Linning, Vanity Fair, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of aptitude
Noun
  • Higher-education reform will have limited reach if education schools continue supplying classrooms with teachers trained to treat ideological conformity as professional competence.
    — Ilya Shapiro, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The Moon’s opposition to Saturn can make conversations about knowledge feel like judgments about competence.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of competence

Browse Nearby Words

dewy-eyed
dexterity
dexterous
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Cite this Entry

“Dexterity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dexterity. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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