1
as in virtuoso
accomplished with trained ability
a masterly performance of one of the most difficult ballets in the repertory
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in skillful
having or showing exceptional knowledge, experience, or skill in a field of endeavor
a masterly handling of a complex topic in philosophy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in masterfully
in a skillful or expert manner
a masterly executed somersault
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of masterly
Phillipa Gregory, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
The masterly second installment of Wolf Hall retails permanent lessons in power.
—Martha Bayles, National Review, 17 Apr. 2025
Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2026
At times, Davis is a masterly nocturne painter, in the vein of Whistler and Henry Ossawa Tanner; at others, his world is medicinally clear and well lit, like that of a Thomas Eakins.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for masterly
Adjective
Wolf Hall is the first — and my favorite — of the masterly trilogy which follows the rise of Thomas Crowell, advisor to Henry VIII.
—Phillipa Gregory, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
The masterly second installment of Wolf Hall retails permanent lessons in power.
—Martha Bayles, National Review, 17 Apr. 2025
Adverb
At age 31, chef de cuisine at the restaurant Alain Ducasse (at the Essex House hotel in New York City), one of the city's finest establishments, Didier is a masterly cook with a rigorous classical training.
—Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2026
At times, Davis is a masterly nocturne painter, in the vein of Whistler and Henry Ossawa Tanner; at others, his world is medicinally clear and well lit, like that of a Thomas Eakins.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for masterly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masterly
Adjective
-
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
-
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
Adjective
-
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
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This country has produced leaders who understood that the office was never about them, that service means something, and that the people watching from home deserve better than a system that rewards the skillful exit over the honest reckoning.—
Nick Weston,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
Adverb
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Texture and color are masterfully layered throughout the floor plan, providing an enticing setting for your visit to Mexico’s capital city.—
Bailey Berg,
Architectural Digest,
29 May 2026
-
Payton, for more than two decades, has masterfully blended an ability to sequence plays and keep the game’s big picture in mind, but the coach himself has said there are times when his dissemination of the play calls has slowed.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
Double Gold Long considered the elder statesman of the Jameson family, the 18-YO is a masterful blend of two pot-still whiskeys and a single-grain whiskey, matured in European and American oak, then finished in first-fill bourbon barrels.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
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The Pomegranate of the Sacred Garden ring embodies our aesthetic, uniting rich symbolism, vibrant enamel and masterful craftsmanship in a piece that feels both timeless and deeply poetic.—
Thomas Waller,
Footwear News,
27 May 2026
Adjective
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Workshop bookings from tourists are helping skilled craftspeople stay in business — and keeping the techniques themselves from disappearing.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2026
-
Evergreen Valley College sits right in the heart of East San José and produces talented, skilled graduates who are ready to work.—
Mercury News Editorial Board,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
Adverb
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One attendee noted that Power even skillfully covered for a castmate who’d messed up his lines.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
26 May 2026
-
In any case, preventing such an outcome has less to do with the size of America’s munitions stockpile than with coming up with a realistic strategy that skillfully mixes diplomacy, economic statecraft, strong alliances, and a capable military focused on defense rather than global interventionism.—
William Hartung,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
Adjective
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For full daily and monthly horoscopes as well as expert readings, see our full Horoscopes experience.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
26 May 2026
-
An enormous amount of expert judgment was already encoded into the frame before the model ran a single token.—
Josipa Majic Predin,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
Coiled on the sofa, Waddingham appears relaxed, but is adept at batting away questions that have the potential to elicit a controversial answer.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
30 May 2026
-
Valentine managed with what his admirers would call flair and his detractors bravado (and few in the sport’s history have been as adept at creating admirers and detractors in equal measure as Valentine).—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Masterly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masterly. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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