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.
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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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Read more Workplace incivility spikes around elections, expert says at Newsweek event Presidential election causing office unrest?Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
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While Trump could use executive authority to unwind Biden energy provisions, Mosby and others have said Congress is likely to lead a process that peels back policy, discards or alters certain provisions, all of which experts say insulates the action from legal scrutiny.Dipka Bhambhani, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Noun
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There’s no master list of the year’s on-screen chemistry; but if there were, the trio of Martindale, Diamantopoulos, and Cyr would absolutely deserve a spot.Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 7 Dec. 2024
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The company also leveled up its wine program by partnering with master sommelier Andrea Robinson.Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 7 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Monica Sanders is an attorney, scholar, and writer focused on sustainability, climate justice, and emerging resilience technologies.Monica Sanders, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
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Frazer contacted a scholar, Susan Weininger, who had written two books about Abercrombie.Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 2 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Rather than just being a defensive wizard, Walker can threaten to hit 30-plus home runs with elite OPS numbers.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2024
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An outsider like Elphaba simply cannot stand to see the Winged Monkeys used as spies for the wizard’s anti-animal regime.Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Naomi Goggin Switch to island time—and expect transportation snafus Even with two planners, and a bride adept at project management, there was one logistical hurdle that was tough to cross: local transportation.Kaitlin Menza, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Nov. 2024
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The libero is usually a defensive specialist adept at passing.Greg Rosenstein, NBC News, 30 July 2024
Noun
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Yet given his gifts (keyboard virtuoso, powerful soul voice, stellar dancer, able to craft a propulsive hook), why didn’t Billy Preston become a bigger star?Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 22 Nov. 2024
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Trump, the reigning virtuoso of attention-hacking, seems destined to keep repeating the same leaden anecdotes about shark attacks and long-dead celebrities, but Carlson has an appetite for new information and a flair for verbal dexterity.Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Some artists fear big businesses mass-producing products would benefit only those artists with the wherewithal to work with the companies, or worse yet, exploit artists’ designs.Debra Utacia Krol, USA TODAY, 1 Dec. 2024
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Pottery artists sell unique works in the Mason Gallery.Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 1 Dec. 2024
Noun
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As well as being a guru for young performers, John has restored the careers of older musicians who had lost faith in themselves.Belinda Luscombe, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024
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He has been billed as an offensive guru, but the Giants can’t score.Dan Duggan, The Athletic, 9 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near past master
Cite this Entry
“Past master.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/past%20master. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.
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