SKILLFULLY Synonyms: 36 Similar and Opposite Words

skillfully

adverb

Definition of skillfully

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 Tia, on her end, handled the ambush skillfully, parrying jabs without raising her voice to prevent Wendy from having any opening to feign victimization. — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2026 Yes, Fielder and Oppenheim are deliberately (and skillfully) thwarting those expectations, but to what end? — ArsTechnica, 30 Oct. 2026 The video shows Nevada skillfully dribbling the ball and scoring, before cutting to the preschool prodigy looking at the cops with confusion. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026 Telhou uses primal shouts to keep the herd together, while Saâdia uses a slingshot contraption to skillfully throw stones at straying goats. — Jen Murphy, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Oct. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for skillfully

Adverb

Rosalía had no need for a flat shoe, and masterfully walked through the subway grates with her statement high heels while showing off her toned legs with a minimalist all-black minidress.

— Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 29 Oct. 2026
Videos shared by Nevada’s parents on Instagram show the precocious dynamo masterfully weaving between taller players and delivering powerful kicks driving the ball into the goal.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of masterfully

Adverb

The legal defense army The Left developed a legal advocacy network to support street agitators well before 2020.

— Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 9 Nov. 2026
Gauthier extended his goals streak to six games and his points streak to a career best-tying eight games with his fourth multi-goal performance during this electric sequence, including three of his four career hat tricks.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2026

Definition of well

Adverb

In the exclusive first-look clip above, O’Connor artfully grapples with his longing to return to music, hugging a past version of himself playing the violin as his face bleeds from a boxing injury.

— Ellise Shafer, Variety, 28 Oct. 2026
High school student Bella Dubrovsky beamed proudly next to her tray of artfully frosted sugar cookies.

— Laina Gustafson, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of artfully

Adverb

Filling the shoes of the legendary Mel Blanc at Looney Tunes was no small task, but the three-time Emmy winner did so capably for years.

— Tom Tapp, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2026
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

Definition of capably

Adverb

Though the signature dumplings, chor muang—chicken and peanut filling encased in delicate butterfly pea flower dough—are the star, don’t overlook the noodle dishes, which are slurpable, expertly sauced, and so soft as to be almost buttery.

— Ali Domrongchai, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Nov. 2026
How to Style It This fall look from Holmes expertly shows how to style a silk midi skirt for daytime.

— Melony Forcier, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2026

Definition of expertly

Adverb

The filling is silky and rich, deftly spiced with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, and tastes unmistakably of pumpkin.

— Rick Martinez, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026
And when an adult in the room was needed to drive discussions on race relations or other serious issues, Johnson handled that deftly, too.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of deftly

Adverb

The robot can unload up to 1,000 cases per hour, although actual throughput depends on factors such as box weight and how neatly or irregularly packages are stacked inside trailers.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026
If pantry snacks are spilling out onto the floor, add these bins on a shelf to keep individual snacks visible and neatly stowed.

— Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of neatly

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skillful

skillfully

skillfulness

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“Skillfully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skillfully. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of skillfully

adverb

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