as in masterfully
in a skillful or expert manner
ably maneuvered the boat up to the dock
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Recent Examples of ably
For many fans of inspirational sports movies, Hoosiers is an all-time great, with Hackman ably portraying the scrappy, tough-love coach Norman Dale, who guides his team of underdogs to the title.
—
Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2025
The villainous role of Mughal king Aurangzeb is ably portrayed by Akshaye Khanna.
—Sweta Kaushal, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
To his credit, Edwards has performed ably as a starter in the last two bouts.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025
Many Lebanese consider Hezbollah more capable than the army and credit it with driving out Israeli forces in 2006 and for ably defending Lebanon until 2023.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ably
Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2025
The villainous role of Mughal king Aurangzeb is ably portrayed by Akshaye Khanna.
—Sweta Kaushal, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
To his credit, Edwards has performed ably as a starter in the last two bouts.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025
Many Lebanese consider Hezbollah more capable than the army and credit it with driving out Israeli forces in 2006 and for ably defending Lebanon until 2023.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ably
Cite this Entry
“Ably.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ably. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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