as in masterfully
in a skillful or expert manner
performed the piece at least competently, if not superbly
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Recent Examples of competently
Outlays old and new need to be justified and competently managed.
—
Editorial, Boston Herald, 17 Apr. 2026
Outlays old and new need to be justified and competently managed.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
Artificial intelligence is also increasingly capable of operating machinery competently and autonomously, from cars to drones and cameras.
—Christye Sisson, The Conversation, 13 Apr. 2026
The shots are competently composed, the lighting bright, the beats familiar and unchallenging in any way.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2026
However, the larger question is whether San Diegans should trust anyone at City Hall, starting with Mayor Gloria and City Attorney Heather Ferbert, to competently manage anything.
—Hal Valderhaug, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Power loves a vacuum, and Valerie competently steps in to work with other professionals and guide the process to good, if not great, success.
—Jennifer Silverman, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2026
But the speed and the solidarity with which states came forward suggest the states don’t feel like the DOJ acted competently.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Wrike is a deeply customizable project management app that competently handles everything from building forms to proofing, though its costs can be high.
—Ruben Circelli, PC Magazine, 10 Mar. 2026
Editorial, Boston Herald, 17 Apr. 2026
Outlays old and new need to be justified and competently managed.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
Artificial intelligence is also increasingly capable of operating machinery competently and autonomously, from cars to drones and cameras.
—Christye Sisson, The Conversation, 13 Apr. 2026
The shots are competently composed, the lighting bright, the beats familiar and unchallenging in any way.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2026
However, the larger question is whether San Diegans should trust anyone at City Hall, starting with Mayor Gloria and City Attorney Heather Ferbert, to competently manage anything.
—Hal Valderhaug, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Power loves a vacuum, and Valerie competently steps in to work with other professionals and guide the process to good, if not great, success.
—Jennifer Silverman, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2026
But the speed and the solidarity with which states came forward suggest the states don’t feel like the DOJ acted competently.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Wrike is a deeply customizable project management app that competently handles everything from building forms to proofing, though its costs can be high.
—Ruben Circelli, PC Magazine, 10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for competently
Adverb
-
The album is full of strange, brilliant contradictions; Oklou slides masterfully between fun and eccentricity, pump and pathos.—
Sheldon Pearce,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The service in Serra was efficient and personable, while in The Eagle Bar, our mixologist masterfully walked the line between professional and cheeky, giving us a sense of real ease.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Bronze Age symbolizes a time of change Bronze, a raw material, was skillfully manipulated to create objects that not only carried weight but also meaning.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Apr. 2026
-
It’s based on an unconventional true story from recent history, set on the British Isles, with a tone that alternates between humorous and sorrowful before delivering an uplifting and humanist message, with skillfully invisible filmmaking that takes a backseat to the performances and story.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Plane tickets are getting pricier After jumping to $209 a barrel in early April, the global price of jet fuel eased last week to around $179, still well above the roughly $99 at the end of February.—
Mae Anderson,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
At this year's event, held at Pura Padel, Holland participated with other BERO higher-ups in a friendly tournament of padel, a racquet sport that's probably best described as a combination of squash and tennis.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
Adverb
-
Both boys testified that Jackson had masturbated in front of them and molested Gavin on several occasions, but Jackson’s defense capably pointed out various inconsistencies in their stories and presented impeaching witnesses.—
Amelia McDonell-Parry,
Rolling Stone,
22 Apr. 2026
-
After all, those are spots capably filled by, in order, Justin Herbert, Cameron Dicker, JK Scott and Josh Harris.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
16 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Most elementary grades’ reading levels stayed the same from the prior year, with approximately 65% to 69% of students reading proficiently.—
Shawn Datchuk,
The Conversation,
23 Apr. 2026
-
There are two elements to DeLauter’s swing, Fink said, that make something that looks so unorthodox work so proficiently.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Minoungou finished neatly beyond Switchbacks keeper Christian Herrera to take a 2-1 lead.—
Braidon Nourse,
Denver Post,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The tools all fold neatly into a plastic container, making storage a breeze.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
After all, Denver has all five starters back from last year, is paying all of them handsomely and has built a developmental group in Palczewski, Crum and Forsyth behind that have all stepped into games ably.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Saturday’s second episode, for which ratings dipped slightly, featured a cold open roasting the former Prince Andrew and was ably steered by host Jamie Dornan, who appeared in sketches including a horror comedy about Jools Holland.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
30 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
In the bar, expertly crafted drinks range from classics to cocktails inspired by decades that defined the city, and creative signatures like the fiery Spicy Fifty, a blend of vanilla vodka, honey and red chili pepper that packs a warming punch.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The rattan is also expertly woven to prevent breakage over time.—
Paige Bennett,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Competently.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/competently. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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