as in masterfully
in a skillful or expert manner
skillfully guided the powerboat around the obstacles
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Recent Examples of skillfully
And Fitzgerald, coming off a magnificent six-interception freshman season, can play nickel skillfully if needed.
—
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2026
Don’t be fooled by its modest exterior—inside, guests find some of the city’s most skillfully balanced and imaginative drinks, crafted by bartenders who speak spirits fluently.
—Kat Stinson, Travel + Leisure, 14 Apr. 2026
The trio of lead performers (Carl Brisson, Malcolm Keen, Anny Ondra) are all skillfully understated for the silent era, broadcasting clear emotions without ever feeling over the top.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Apr. 2026
Gorton skillfully depicts the grueling decades-long struggle of Sanger (the icon, in this telling) and Dennett (the idealist) to make birth control available and legal, as well as their interpersonal competition for power and influence.
—Literary Hub, 20 Mar. 2026
Adriana Lambarri’s costumes skillfully replicate the actor’s garb in the film while composer/sound designer Jazer Sibley-Schwartz channels at the outset a knowing nod to John Williams’ indelible, two-note cadence of menacing notes announcing the shark’s arrival.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 10 Mar. 2026
In my view, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu skillfully used political leverage and diplomatic pressure to shape the process publicly and privately.
—Mehrzad Boroujerdi, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026
With the Ducks in desperation mode, Kreider skillfully redirected Jacob Trouba’s shot from the point for the 21st goal of his first season with Anaheim.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026
With the Ducks in desperation mode, Kreider skillfully redirected Jacob Trouba's shot from the point for the 21st goal of his first season with Anaheim.
—CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2026
Don’t be fooled by its modest exterior—inside, guests find some of the city’s most skillfully balanced and imaginative drinks, crafted by bartenders who speak spirits fluently.
—Kat Stinson, Travel + Leisure, 14 Apr. 2026
The trio of lead performers (Carl Brisson, Malcolm Keen, Anny Ondra) are all skillfully understated for the silent era, broadcasting clear emotions without ever feeling over the top.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Apr. 2026
Gorton skillfully depicts the grueling decades-long struggle of Sanger (the icon, in this telling) and Dennett (the idealist) to make birth control available and legal, as well as their interpersonal competition for power and influence.
—Literary Hub, 20 Mar. 2026
Adriana Lambarri’s costumes skillfully replicate the actor’s garb in the film while composer/sound designer Jazer Sibley-Schwartz channels at the outset a knowing nod to John Williams’ indelible, two-note cadence of menacing notes announcing the shark’s arrival.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 10 Mar. 2026
In my view, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu skillfully used political leverage and diplomatic pressure to shape the process publicly and privately.
—Mehrzad Boroujerdi, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026
With the Ducks in desperation mode, Kreider skillfully redirected Jacob Trouba’s shot from the point for the 21st goal of his first season with Anaheim.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026
With the Ducks in desperation mode, Kreider skillfully redirected Jacob Trouba's shot from the point for the 21st goal of his first season with Anaheim.
—CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skillfully
Adverb
-
Nurse Dana—competent, underpaid, indispensable, and increasingly aware of her own leverage—isn’t a supporting character, as masterfully played by the Emmy-winning Katherine LaNasa.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
-
This contemporary-style home masterfully bridges the indoor and outdoor living experiences.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Berea College, in Kentucky, is probably the most well known of these institutions.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Hot sleepers know the feeling of tossing, turning, and sweating through too-warm bedding especially well, but the proper seasonal bedding can eliminate this issue.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
It had been artfully arranged, staged in a marble vase.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Customers can also get a closer look at the espresso bar as baristas artfully whip up everything from a caramel macchiato to a cocoa cappuccino, with unobstructed views and new lighting above the pickup area.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
After all, those are spots capably filled by, in order, Justin Herbert, Cameron Dicker, JK Scott and Josh Harris.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Morgan Stanley, led by CEO Ted Pick since 2024, appears to have capably navigated the tumult of the first quarter, which saw rolling corrections in software stocks and the upheaval caused by the Iran war.—
Hugh Son,
CNBC,
15 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Electric Bleu is a testament to the reality that food can be technically precise and expertly executed, without the pretension and toxicity so often associated with fine dining kitchens.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
-
All of it is paired expertly with wines from the 15,000-strong cellar.—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The place is a total zoo, especially at the tail end of the week and weekend, but the counter staff juggles it all deftly.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Romvari deftly synthesizes that kind of quotidian flow, days bleeding into one another as something significant foments at the margins of the everyday.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
California politics rarely works that neatly.—
Matt Klink,
Oc Register,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Those two goals didn’t always fit neatly together.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skillfully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skillfully. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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