as in politely
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Recent Examples of tactfully
Forgoing opulence and drama, Stone’s floor-length dress featured a flowing silhouette and distinct gray lines tactfully exposing the seams of the garment.
—
Julia Teti, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2025
The royal family are responsible for the seating arrangements at the state dinner and appear to have tactfully seated the media mogul far away from the president to avoid any awkward encounters.
—Amanda Castro
hannah Parry
shane Croucher
jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
At the top of the drive, a Greek-temple art museum presides, its most recent cultural icon—Sylvester Stallone as Rocky—tactfully tucked out of sight.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
But do it tactfully, in a way that resonates well.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Julia Teti, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2025
The royal family are responsible for the seating arrangements at the state dinner and appear to have tactfully seated the media mogul far away from the president to avoid any awkward encounters.
—Amanda Castro
hannah Parry
shane Croucher
jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
At the top of the drive, a Greek-temple art museum presides, its most recent cultural icon—Sylvester Stallone as Rocky—tactfully tucked out of sight.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
But do it tactfully, in a way that resonates well.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tactfully
Adverb
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As seen in a video shared to X by Lizzie Robinson of ITV, the Princess of Wales politely said hello to a patient there, asked her name and made the connection between the woman and William, the heir to the throne.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
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Fear, hunger and repression did not stop politely at national borders.—
Philip Martin,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Lynch diplomatically gave it his due as a member of the front office.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Advertisement Beijing has drawn closer to Seoul, in what experts suggest is part of an effort to not just cut Tokyo off from Chinese trade, but also to isolate it diplomatically.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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When a visitor arrives in a classroom, a classroom ambassador welcomes them, introduces himself and the subject being taught, and courteously asks for the visitor’s name and affiliation.—
Walter Fields,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
The future of democracy is going to depend on our ability to think critically and disagree civilly.—
Mary Ellen Klas,
Twin Cities,
11 Jan. 2026
-
As a drone whirred overhead and hooded people spray-painted the building and its fixtures, the protestors advocated for more civilly disobedient methods.—
Dante Motley,
Austin American Statesman,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tactfully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tactfully. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
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