as in expert
a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field
a movie director who was widely regarded as the past master of suspense
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Recent Examples of past master
There is a certainty to her sentences that sets her alongside past masters (your William Trevors, your Anton Chekhovs) and a singular beauty to her observations.
—
Tomi Obaro, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2024
Coppola, a past master at directing actors, allows his performers – who include Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, Aubrey Plaza, and Nathalie Emmanuel – to shamelessly ham it up.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Sep. 2024
And he is positioned as the chief foreign luminary at the festival’s anniversary tribute to past master Ozu Yasujiro.
—Mark Schilling, Variety, 23 Oct. 2023
The fact that the company is designing a standalone robotaxi speaks to its failures in executing past master plans.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 28 Feb. 2023
Wonder, a past master of love songs, makes a demand that tests the output of every contemporary pop singer and every jaded fan.
—Armond White, National Review, 25 Nov. 2020
Does this past master of starting crazes see the Reddit phenomenon as a long-overdue democratization of the stock market, or a frenzy detached from the fundamentals of investing?
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2021
The locked-room mystery—not just a whodunnit but a how-done-it—pays homage to past masters such as John Dickson Carr and Gaston Leroux.
—The Economist, 18 Dec. 2019
When the ensemble made its first national tour, playing Orchestra Hall in September 1992, Marsalis and friends were trying to show that America needed a world-class jazz orchestra that could honor past masters while forging future ones.
—Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, 16 Nov. 2019
Tomi Obaro, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2024
Coppola, a past master at directing actors, allows his performers – who include Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, Aubrey Plaza, and Nathalie Emmanuel – to shamelessly ham it up.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Sep. 2024
And he is positioned as the chief foreign luminary at the festival’s anniversary tribute to past master Ozu Yasujiro.
—Mark Schilling, Variety, 23 Oct. 2023
The fact that the company is designing a standalone robotaxi speaks to its failures in executing past master plans.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 28 Feb. 2023
Wonder, a past master of love songs, makes a demand that tests the output of every contemporary pop singer and every jaded fan.
—Armond White, National Review, 25 Nov. 2020
Does this past master of starting crazes see the Reddit phenomenon as a long-overdue democratization of the stock market, or a frenzy detached from the fundamentals of investing?
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2021
The locked-room mystery—not just a whodunnit but a how-done-it—pays homage to past masters such as John Dickson Carr and Gaston Leroux.
—The Economist, 18 Dec. 2019
When the ensemble made its first national tour, playing Orchestra Hall in September 1992, Marsalis and friends were trying to show that America needed a world-class jazz orchestra that could honor past masters while forging future ones.
—Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, 16 Nov. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for past master
Noun
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As an example, this leads to a greater understanding of signals and the integration of the communications expert into decision-making.—
Bill Edwards,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
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If ordering prepared or prepackaged tacos, opt for those with minimal amounts of sodium, preservatives and artificial ingredients, the experts advised.—
Perri Ormont Blumberg,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2025
Noun
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Skills build on themselves, so children who don’t master kindergarten phonics or counting could remain behind in future grades.—
Claire Cain Miller,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
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The master artisan will also assemble an accessory from the BADURA high leather goods collection, deftly using his hands as tools honed through decades of proficiency and techniques steeped in centuries-old traditions.—
Alexandra Kirkman,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
Noun
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We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard's ability to host our international students and scholars, who hail from more than 140 countries and enrich the University—and this nation—immeasurably.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 May 2025
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And the collaboration the Archive Center most prioritizes is with Native communities themselves, providing reference services to community members, scholars and the general public.—
Nathan Pugh,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 May 2025
Noun
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Its decision to open a theme park in Abu Dhabi was the driving force behind the rapprochement and the wizards who helped that happen work for Miral, the leading leisure operator in the Middle East.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
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Sandra Oh and more, the new Smurfs will follow the residents of Smurf Village banding together to rescue Papa Smurf after he is captured by an evil wizard.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
16 May 2025
Noun
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Slot shares this staple of Tottenham counterpart Ange Postecoglou’s attacking principles, with Porro adept at tucking inside to disrupt the opposition shape.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
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The result is that just these English words, representing just this original document, make for a new and somewhat undiscovered book, even to Marxist adepts.—
Benjamin Kunkel,
Harpers Magazine,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Imagine Jimi Hendrix also being a tuba virtuoso, or Andy Warhol also excelling on an Etch-A-Sketch.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
28 May 2025
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Dissatisfied with the quality of the day’s commercial recordings, Paul, who’d worked with pop stars including Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters, and was a guitar virtuoso and bandleader, endeavored to push the practice forward — to make recording a kind of erudite art form.—
Erin Osmon,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2025
Noun
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The Industrialist Facing the Barclays Center, The Industrialist occupies a four-story warehouse reimagined as an artist's sanctuary.—
Malik Peay,
USA Today,
24 May 2025
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The Spanish-style stucco buildings with clay tile roofs are home to more than 80 artists and over 20 galleries.—
Anne Roderique-Jones,
Travel + Leisure,
24 May 2025
Noun
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One year out from the 2026 primary, Democratic voters want their next governor to fight Trump, said voter data guru Paul Mitchell.—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2025
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The promo also features longtime anchor Lara Spencer, with her daughter and dogs; weather guru Ginger Zee, visiting a local farmer’s market; Will Reeve with his wife; Rebecca Jarvis with her family; and veteran weather correspondent Sam Champion.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
3 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Past master.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/past%20master. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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