competently

adverb

Definition of competentlynext
as in masterfully
in a skillful or expert manner performed the piece at least competently, if not superbly

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 competently But their ability to competently run a city, connecting directly with local needs, often sets them up for national politics. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026 Nor does Moshe appear a natural action director, as the setpieces here are just competently staged rather than harrowing, and overall tension goes slack on occasion. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026 While there are lots of things most people can competently do on their own, filing for bankruptcy is not one of them. — Jay L. Zagorsky, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 2026 Final Thoughts The Beatbot Sora 70 can competently clean your pool's floor, walls, platforms, and surface. — John Mihaly, PC Magazine, 17 Aug. 2026 Unless operated competently such missiles may be worse than useless. — David Hambling, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026 The real issue is whether AI is being implemented transparently, responsibly and accountably — and whether regulators themselves understand these systems well enough to govern them competently. — Sreedhar Potarazu, Baltimore Sun, 14 June 2026 Mark Beare, head of consumer business at cybersecurity firm Malwarebytes, also notes that employees would need to have confidence that an AI agent responding to coworkers and clients on their behalf can be counted on to act competently and professionally. — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 8 June 2026 Why can’t San Francisco’s officials competently replace its trash cans? — Steven Greenhut, Washington Post, 6 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for competently
  1. masterfully
  2. skillfully
  3. well
  4. capably
  5. proficiently
  6. neatly
  7. ably
  8. expertly
Adverb
  • Ahluwalia x Puma Blending the designer’s Indian-Nigerian culture with Puma’s legendary sportswear designs, this partnership masterfully resulted in a colorful, chic athleisure capsule.
    — Virginia Corneli, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The Soundcore Select 4 Go pairs an adventure-proof IP67 design with exceptional 20-hour battery life masterfully.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of masterfully
Adverb
  • 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
Definition of skillfully
Adverb
  • Gen Z fared best, with most getting back more than 80 cents per dollar—but that’s still well short of breaking even.
    — Shae Lake, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
  • By implementing strategies that address the CSF's six key functions, districts, colleges and universities can better identify, protect, detect, respond to and recover from potential incidents, enhancing their overall resilience.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of well
Adverb
  • And there was also a favorable response on Saturday to Amazon/MGM’s Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, an action-thriller led capably by Mahershala Ali.
    — Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 20 Sep. 2026
  • This is a budget loadout, but the Intel Core i3 processor is a solid little performer that capably manages Web browsing, spreadsheets, document creation and more without breaking a sweat.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of capably
Adverb
  • Buzzard is in exceptional shape for his age, with teammate Max Thomas noticing his ability to keep up proficiently during team sprints.
    — Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The initiative comes as only about 35% of APS third graders are reading proficiently.
    — Jamal Goss, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of proficiently
Adverb
  • Her beauty look, with gleaming skin and braids pulled back neatly, was similarly unfussy.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Green fragrances are gaining ground as shoppers move away from sweet gourmands and heavy vanilla scents, and tomato leaf fits neatly into that shift toward fresher, more botanical profiles.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of neatly
Adverb
  • Zeller sets this up ably by incorporating the sledgehammer blows of the builder hired by Toby into percussive passages of Volker Bertelmann’s ominous score.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
  • All four stars ably play the stoic and sorrowful notes required of them, without finding many secondary or contrasting ones in their dialogue.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of ably
Adverb
  • This year, there have been a lot of films that are expertly navigating this.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Sybil appeared to be in charge of making the batter, expertly cracking eggs into the yellow mixer as Craig was on oven duty, putting the cookies in before carefully watching his daughter for permission to take the treats out.
    — Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of expertly

Browse Nearby Words

competent
competently
competes
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Cite this Entry

“Competently.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/competently. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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