ably
adverb
: in an able and skillful manner : with ability, skill, or proficiency
was ably assisted
This silly comic Christmas romp is ably performed by a cast of 22 actors, led by the high-spirited Danny McBride as the childlike Buddy.—
Matthew Yde
Matthew YdeLast year, she ably completed a half-marathon run with only minimal training.—Zachary Lewis
Zachary Lewis
Synonyms
Examples of ably in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sweeney ably carries the film on that level, though there are beats courtesy of director Michael Mohan and screenwriter Andrew Lobel as likely to elicit uncomfortable chuckles from the audience as fear.
—Brian Lowry, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024
The sensitive and light-hearted writing is ably supported by a brilliant cast including Bodhisattva Sharma, Samta Sudiksha, Shashi Bhushan, and Sheeba Chadha.
—Sweta Kaushal, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Jordan has less influence in Gaza than Egypt does, but the Jordanians have ably trained Palestinian security forces in the West Bank and could do the same for PA forces in Gaza.
—Martin Indyk, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
In an interview on Thursday, Serna acknowledged that the special prosecutor had ably handled the Gutierrez Reed trial.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024
Shatz discusses all this ably, but the book’s real triumph is to link Fanon’s life to the development of his ideas.
—Adam Shatz, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
He is ably supported by veteran actors Dimple Kapadia, Dharmendra, and Rakesh Singh Bedi.
—Sweta Kaushal, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024
After struggling to pick up a few blitzes early, the Ravens’ offensive line protected Jackson ably against Houston, with left tackle Ronnie Stanley playing perhaps his best game of the season.
—Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 24 Jan. 2024
Naturally, with Dudley's help, the bishop eventually rediscovers the true meaning of Christmas, a message that The Bishop's Wife ably passes along to its holiday audience.
—Gwen Ihnat, EW.com, 16 Nov. 2023
Brian Lowry, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024
The sensitive and light-hearted writing is ably supported by a brilliant cast including Bodhisattva Sharma, Samta Sudiksha, Shashi Bhushan, and Sheeba Chadha.
—Sweta Kaushal, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Jordan has less influence in Gaza than Egypt does, but the Jordanians have ably trained Palestinian security forces in the West Bank and could do the same for PA forces in Gaza.
—Martin Indyk, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
In an interview on Thursday, Serna acknowledged that the special prosecutor had ably handled the Gutierrez Reed trial.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024
Shatz discusses all this ably, but the book’s real triumph is to link Fanon’s life to the development of his ideas.
—Adam Shatz, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
He is ably supported by veteran actors Dimple Kapadia, Dharmendra, and Rakesh Singh Bedi.
—Sweta Kaushal, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024
After struggling to pick up a few blitzes early, the Ravens’ offensive line protected Jackson ably against Houston, with left tackle Ronnie Stanley playing perhaps his best game of the season.
—Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 24 Jan. 2024
Naturally, with Dudley's help, the bishop eventually rediscovers the true meaning of Christmas, a message that The Bishop's Wife ably passes along to its holiday audience.
—Gwen Ihnat, EW.com, 16 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ably.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of ably was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near ably
Cite this Entry
“Ably.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ably. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
ably
adverbˈā-blē
: in an able manner
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