Synonym Chooser

How is the word adroit different from other adjectives like it?

The words deft and dexterous are common synonyms of adroit. While all three words mean "ready and skilled in physical movement," adroit implies dexterity but usually also stresses resourcefulness or artfulness or inventiveness.

the magician's adroit response to the failure of her prop won applause

When might deft be a better fit than adroit?

Although the words deft and adroit have much in common, deft emphasizes lightness, neatness, and sureness of touch or handling.

a surgeon's deft manipulation of the scalpel

In what contexts can dexterous take the place of adroit?

The words dexterous and adroit can be used in similar contexts, but dexterous implies expertness with consequent facility and quickness in manipulation.

unrolled the sleeping bag with a dexterous toss

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 adroit These mother-and-son exchanges rinse and repeat in the first stages of the storytelling, under the adroit direction of Rob Lutfy, mingling tension and absurdity. David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 June 2023 Six months ago, his historic landslide victory was widely lauded, viewed as the triumph of a politically adroit change-maker whose centrist policies had swept him to power. Dan Bilefsky, New York Times, 7 May 2023 The Premonitions Bureau, an adroit debut from the New Yorker staff writer Sam Knight, draws us into a world not-that-far-gone in which psychic phenomena were yet untamed by science and uncanny sensations still whispered of the supernatural, of cosmic secrets. Ian Beacock, The New Republic, 25 Aug. 2022 Both men were adroit in working the local political system, each was fixated on focal sepsis as the cause of psychosis, and each came to lose his capacity for objectivity in the pursuit of his goal. Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 11 Jan. 2015 See All Example Sentences for adroit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adroit
Adjective
  • But despite those skillful trappings, the story soon feels ponderous.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 11 July 2025
  • And there was also skillful attention to the right marketing and distribution details.
    Andrew Tobias, Vulture, 7 July 2025
Adjective
  • This is the masterful alchemy of the Lazy CF Ranch outdoor furniture line, where utility meets heirloom-quality fine art.
    Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 2 July 2025
  • Don’t ever doubt theater’s ability to spin a masterful tale out of unusual material.
    David Lyman, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Adjective
  • Jesse Nelson, store manager at Family Tree Nursery in Shawnee, shared some expert advice for local gardeners on how to keep your annuals healthy when things get hot.
    Tammy Ljungblad, Kansas City Star, 9 July 2025
  • However, such expert predictions should be taken with a grain of salt, as researchers have consistently been surprised by the rapid pace of AI capability advancement.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 8 July 2025
Adjective
  • Tasters enjoyed Canada Dry’s balance of flavors, noting that its delicate citrus played well with a sharp bitter note on the back of their tongues.
    Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 July 2025
  • For instance, delicate fabrics like wool, silk, or linen will likely have different washing requirements than white cotton garments.
    Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 12 July 2025
Adjective
  • King has a blogger’s punch and an essayist’s analysis—her dexterous writing is intelligent, observant, and very, very funny.
    Literary Hub July 1, Literary Hub, 1 July 2025
  • The touch screen, microphone, and stylus meant even those not dexterous enough for the typical shooters could find games perfect for them.
    CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 9 June 2025
Adjective
  • With music as a core artistic focus, Volga hosts a calendar of live performances both on the rooftop and in its underground music room.
    Michaela Trimble, Vogue, 13 July 2025
  • Erin Enderlin and Sunny Sweeney are country music superfans who are blessed to be Grand Ole Opry regulars, with eight albums released between them over the past two decades and a peerless set of artistic support.
    Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 13 July 2025
Adjective
  • Few games capture with such deft poetry the sensory delight that can occur while simply being in nature.
    Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 9 July 2025
  • At their best, these works are deft and authentic—rigorously researched but effortlessly executed.
    Mia Barzilay Freund, Vogue, 7 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Adroit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adroit. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

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