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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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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.
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A lot of the movie feels like a virtuoso chase sequence, people barreling down the road, guns blazing.
Adjective
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One of the few calls of the night was from Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault, ready to get his hands on the skillful point guard.
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His lyrics were layered, skillful and unorthodox.
Adverb
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While traditional tailoring and minimalist silhouettes dominated the red carpet, prospects masterfully personalized their looks.
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Son moved fast, especially up the left wing, and arced balls masterfully into the corners of the net.
Adjective
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Come for the subtle performances and Agnès Godard’s masterful cinematography; stay for one of the greatest endings in movie history.
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Long-form, famously practiced by the masterful TJ Jagodowski and David Pasquesi (coming soon to the Goodman Theatre), features performers who can spin one line of dialogue, or merely a location, into a spontaneous hour.
Adjective
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Olise had a right-footer from the top of the box in the opening 10 minutes that required a skilled save from goalkeeper Egil Selvik.
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Dashboards can help surface anomalies, a concentration ratio above target or a revenue trend breaking from projection, but a skilled investor still has to ask whether that pattern signals product-market fit or vulnerability.
Adverb
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In one of prettiest team goals of this tournament, Ayase Ueda skillfully found Ritsu Doan, who threaded it to Maeda.
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The staff knows the menu and wine list back to front, and buzz around the dining room quickly and skillfully.
Adjective
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For full daily and monthly horoscopes as well as expert readings, see our full Horoscopes experience.
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And TickEncounter has a free tick identification program that allows users to submit a photograph of their tick and get an expert ID, usually within 24 hours.
Adjective
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Officials have grown increasingly concerned since Anthropic warned earlier this year that its Mythos model was adept at finding software flaws in a way that could be weaponized by malicious hackers and threaten critical computer networks around the world.
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Do this regularly; teenagers are adept at reversing settings the moment your back is turned.
Cite this Entry
“Masterly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masterly. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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