deft

Centre-back Lisandro Martinez was outmuscled embarrassingly easily by Dominic Solanke, with goalkeeper Senne Lammens failing to read the striker's deft touch that crept in at the far corner.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

In a deft bit of narrative maneuvering, Gerald’s voice breaking was written into the show; Jamil Walker Smith played the character for all five seasons and one movie.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

“We hear the VP views Schmitt as trustworthy, intelligent, articulate and a deft political operator,” VandeHei wrote.

From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2026

Yet the film is more than the deft redeployment of familiar tropes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

Besides, Lyra’s hands were deft, and she was desperate to help; so the small human tent over the great bear-king, packing in the bloodmoss and freezing the raw flesh till it stopped bleeding.

From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman

Andrew Bayliss, the author of “Sparta: The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Superpower,” is a defter writer than Xenophon.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026

But this particular story needed a defter touch.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2021

Whatever one may wonder about Özil’s motivations, he has shown a defter touch on social media than most of his teammates have managed on the pitch since the season began.

From The Guardian ● Dec. 30, 2020

The balance of mystery and resolution felt defter here than it has in a few episodes, but there were still messes aplenty.

From New York Times ● Dec. 3, 2015

Insight into the general principle of the puzzle leads to a better general plan of attack, and insight into the detailed difficulties of manipulation leads to smoother and defter handling.

From Psychology A Study Of Mental Life by Robert S. Woodworth

The skill with which Friedan connects the dots between the subjugation of intelligent, educated women and the ruthless, calculated mind-numbing agenda of consumerism turns out to be her deftest move.

From Salon ● Jan. 5, 2025

Bourgue continued to produce an array of winners, including the deftest of drop shots, to delight the home crowd in Philippe Chatrier court.

From BBC ● May 25, 2016

Jay Roach’s movie follows the tribulations—and exhausted triumphs—of Dalton Trumbo, one of the deftest of American screenwriters.

From The New Yorker ● Nov. 9, 2015

So Mr. Christie, among the deftest of politicians, took pains to put any tone of bullying aside.

From New York Times ● Dec. 14, 2013

The luxuriant tresses of the male Arguellos were combed and braided and tied with a ribbon every morning by the women of the family, and Concha's fingers were the gentlest and deftest.

From Rezanov by Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton