View synonyms for deftly

deftly

[ deft-lee ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adverb

in a dexterous or nimble manner; skillfully:
The nightjar, a nocturnal bird, is an aerial hunter capable of deftly snatching moths from the air in mid flight.
With clear, concise prose, the author navigates deftly through a complex narrative of diplomacy, war, and politics.

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Origin of deftly¹

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Nothing does it quite like deftly decapitating a bottle of bubbly with a gleaming blade.

Soviet forces had deftly enveloped the German 4th and 9th Armies, annihilating some 28 divisions.

In her new memoir, Lena Dunham deftly articulates many of the concerns facing women her age.

Yes, Burns and Ward have produced an Intimate History that deftly weaves together the personal and the political.

Colbert has deftly hosted benefits and other shows and given hilarious and poignant commencement speeches.

The only thing that kept him awake was Sarah's shapely fingers moving deftly among the pages of the sacred book.

The dwarfs leaped into the air and in a bound seized and cut the branches, out of which they deftly wove a basket chair.

The white-haired man deftly removed Talpers's revolver from its holster and put it on the table.

Bent low over the machine, he seems absorbed in the work, his hands deftly manipulating the shuttle, his foot on the treadle.

"Those Others could not breathe under the water, as you cannot," he explained as he worked deftly and swiftly.

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