as in skillfully
in a skillful or expert manner
plays the violin masterfully, especially for a performer of her age
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Recent Examples of masterfully
Instead, my research documented how LBJ masterfully used the questionable attacks as a persuasively powerful pretext to convince Congress to pass the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution by a near unanimous vote; only one senator voted against it.
—
Richard Cherwitz, Sun Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
An early architect of the cult of celebrity, Bardot masterfully harnessed the energy of the Swinging Sixties, framing herself as a free-spirited embodiment of a changing world.
—Isobel Thompson, Vogue, 28 Dec. 2025
This classic ensemble rom-com masterfully strings together a gamut of love stories — from the fairy-tale-esque to the utterly tear-jerking — all during the cheery buildup to Christmas.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Dec. 2025
And yet, the theory goes, Kubrick had so masterfully embedded his clues in the film that some of them survived the posthumous meddling.
—Lane Brown, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025
In the ongoing ideological debates between liberalism and its critics, Sunstein masterfully stakes out and defends the tradition’s high ground, a vision of liberal society equipped with a living constitution that protects the rights and dignity of individuals and the free play of ideas.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Her prose masterfully mixed humor and romance.
—Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
Not long ago, Tokarczuk sent us some remarks about a few of her favorite sci-fi and speculative-fiction writers, whose books mix the fantastical and the prosaic masterfully.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2025
Metal tree bases are often a dead giveaway that your Douglas fir is faux, but the walled design of Anthropologie’s rattan tree skirt masterfully hides it like a holiday secret.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 1 Dec. 2025
Richard Cherwitz, Sun Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
An early architect of the cult of celebrity, Bardot masterfully harnessed the energy of the Swinging Sixties, framing herself as a free-spirited embodiment of a changing world.
—Isobel Thompson, Vogue, 28 Dec. 2025
This classic ensemble rom-com masterfully strings together a gamut of love stories — from the fairy-tale-esque to the utterly tear-jerking — all during the cheery buildup to Christmas.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Dec. 2025
And yet, the theory goes, Kubrick had so masterfully embedded his clues in the film that some of them survived the posthumous meddling.
—Lane Brown, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025
In the ongoing ideological debates between liberalism and its critics, Sunstein masterfully stakes out and defends the tradition’s high ground, a vision of liberal society equipped with a living constitution that protects the rights and dignity of individuals and the free play of ideas.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Her prose masterfully mixed humor and romance.
—Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
Not long ago, Tokarczuk sent us some remarks about a few of her favorite sci-fi and speculative-fiction writers, whose books mix the fantastical and the prosaic masterfully.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2025
Metal tree bases are often a dead giveaway that your Douglas fir is faux, but the walled design of Anthropologie’s rattan tree skirt masterfully hides it like a holiday secret.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 1 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masterfully
Adverb
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The hotel, which cinched a Michelin Key this year, has 65 rooms and suites that skillfully combine historic Victorian style with modern touches.—
Cat Sposato,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Nov. 2025
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And when wielded skillfully, the very tools that mislead us can help us out of this conundrum.—
Nadav Ziv,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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Strength, endurance, agility and mental toughness are tested in constantly changing combinations designed to reward the most well-rounded performers.—
NWA Democrat-Gazette,
Arkansas Online,
10 Nov. 2025
-
In Southern cuisine, a main dish is best complemented by a host of incredible side dishes.—
Patricia S York,
Southern Living,
9 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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Throughout the movie, Lanthimos doles out pieces of backstory in short, dreamlike sequences that unfurl in black and white, artfully filling in the blanks of Teddy’s particular interest in Michelle.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
31 Oct. 2025
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Featuring the works of artist Michael Storrings, the puzzle artfully depicts a snowy winter scene in New York City, complete with the subway line, skyscrapers, bright yellow taxis, storefronts, and of course, pedestrians strolling the streets.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
30 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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Green expertly applies fake eyelashes, thick foundation and a dessert brown eye look, while Messina goes to work piling tight curls atop my head.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
9 Nov. 2025
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Its gentle formula expertly breaks down makeup without leaving my skin feeling dry and tight.—
Clara McMahon,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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Jimmy Graham and others manned the position capably over the subsequent years, but Kraft was on another level.—
Mike Sando,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
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However, Poland stressed that its planes handled the situation capably and effectively, and that there was no further cause for concern.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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The ensemble comedy garnered critical praise for its steady stream of zaniness and quickly gained a reputation for deftly skewering suburban life while still maintaining a general sweetness of tone.—
Will Harris,
Vulture,
2 Jan. 2026
-
Stafford has deftly utilized tight ends Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen and Terrance Ferguson.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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And for looking put-together post-red-eye, the Niasso Portable Travel Steamer is $23 (originally $36) and tucks neatly into a weekender.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Nov. 2025
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But Heberlig argued the transportation debate didn’t break down neatly along partisan lines.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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The late mother of Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who spent her formative years in Thailand, London and Paris, was lauded for adroitly blending Western style, Eastern traditions and her homeland’s rich textile heritage.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
2 Dec. 2025
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In this case, the characters’ back stories are knitted together with an impactful range of lyrics that Swindley has mined from the country music canon, repeatedly adroitly interweaving song lyrics and dialogue.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Masterfully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masterfully. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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