skillfully

adverb

Definition of skillfullynext
as in masterfully
in a skillful or expert manner skillfully guided the powerboat around the obstacles

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 skillfully When daily life can feel quite bruising and fractious, documentaries skillfully encourage us to let our guard down and connect with real-life stories and people… sometimes challenging, often invigorating, and always meaningful. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026 Baseball serves as a test platform for these underlying capabilities, with dexterous manipulation, the ability to handle objects skillfully and reliably, remaining the larger objective. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026 Jay has always skillfully folded each turn into his larger mythology, going from drug dealer to rapper to label boss to executive with an air of inevitability, every choice subsumed into the glory of the hustle. — Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026 These nine classics skillfully keep audiences guessing while depicting different kinds of waking nightmares, making the protagonists’ traumas our own for a few entertaining hours. — David Faris, TheWeek, 14 Sep. 2026 Comedy lends itself perfectly to this, and our writers and director have skillfully women in elements that help achieve this aim. — Kevin Giraud, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026 The film skillfully repurposes its clips and is not above snark. — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026 My servers, Simon Yun and Michael Richards, skillfully handled busy dining rooms from the first seating on a Friday evening to the last seating on a Tuesday night. — Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026 At this unassuming spot in Jardim Botânico, Sudbrack skillfully uses a traditional clay oven to draw remarkable flavors from the simplest of seasonal, fresh, and local ingredients. — Mikael Castro, Travel + Leisure, 15 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skillfully
  1. masterfully
  2. well
  3. artfully
  4. capably
  5. expertly
  6. deftly
  7. neatly
Adverb
  • The narrative winds in and out of time, masterfully jumping between past and future with no consideration to chronology.
    — Sky Davis, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Ahluwalia x Puma Blending the designer’s Indian-Nigerian culture with Puma’s legendary sportswear designs, this partnership masterfully resulted in a colorful, chic athleisure capsule.
    — Virginia Corneli, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of masterfully
Adverb
  • The Horned Frogs also have one of the country’s best tight ends in Kari Ashley, who has been a breakout star.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The cosmonauts plonked down on November 19th, 1965 in the Midlands market town of Rugby, a cultural backwater best known for the sport, the school, and wartime poet Rupert Brooke, in that order.
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of well
Adverb
  • His bed, once artfully tussled, is a feat of military-tight corners.
    — Sam Cochran, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2026
  • While posing artfully in the store’s shop window, Klara catches the eye of Josie (Mia Tharia), who persuades her mother Chrissie (Amy Adams) to buy her as a companion.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of artfully
Adverb
  • The rest of the filmmaking, too, is content to coast at a lower difficulty setting, from the proficient but anonymously taupe lensing by master DP Robert Elswit to an untested ensemble of ever-watchable actors playing capably to type.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
  • And there was also a favorable response on Saturday to Amazon/MGM’s Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, an action-thriller led capably by Mahershala Ali.
    — Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of capably
Adverb
  • Lace was expertly placed with thoughtful trims and underlays to create detailed masterpieces.
    — Shelby Wax, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Hadid wore the Vivaia Carol Jogger Sneakerinas on a chopper ride, expertly styling them with a beige barn jacket, little black dress, and suede shoulder bag.
    — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of expertly
Adverb
  • John Steinbeck wrote Cathy Ames, the antagonist of his novel East of Eden, as the embodiment of original sin, and in Zoe Kazan’s Netflix adaptation, Florence Pugh deftly channels the character’s ambition and cynicism.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
  • His predecessor, Tim Cook, gained stature on the world stage as a power broker deftly navigating global politics, markets, and supply chains.
    — Andrew R. Chow, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of deftly
Adverb
  • This work is considered the first of its kind to neatly package elements of vampirism into a single piece of fiction.
    — Maria Papadouris, JSTOR Daily, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Building a data center that fits neatly into an existing grid provides little opportunity for a utility to make new money.
    — Jeffrey Kopp,MacKenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of neatly

Browse Nearby Words

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skillfully
skillfulness
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Cite this Entry

“Skillfully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skillfully. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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