as in politic
having or showing tact
tried to be tactful when asked to critique her friend's singing
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in diplomacy
the ability to deal with others in touchy situations without offending them
the tactfulness with which the secretary of state handled the diplomatic crisis was commendable
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tactful
Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2025
Tonight: Check your finances. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) ★★★
Go easy and be tactful today, because your dealings with close friends, spouses and partners might be difficult.
—Georgia Nicols, The Denver Post, 31 Jan. 2025
Being tactful helps to maintain positive relationships and ensures that ideas are communicated without causing unnecessary friction.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
But there’s a tactful way of doing most everything, and that includes quitting in the face of adversity.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 3 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tactful
Adjective
Social media has sabotaged the tactful rule against mentioning social events to people who were not invited.
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2025
Tonight: Check your finances. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) ★★★
Go easy and be tactful today, because your dealings with close friends, spouses and partners might be difficult.
—Georgia Nicols, The Denver Post, 31 Jan. 2025
Being tactful helps to maintain positive relationships and ensures that ideas are communicated without causing unnecessary friction.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
But there’s a tactful way of doing most everything, and that includes quitting in the face of adversity.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 3 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tactful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tactful
Adjective
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Yet, while activist evangelical women worked with these groups, Schlafly’s Catholicism limited her ability to reach evangelicals who were more ambivalent about politic involvement.—
Emily Suzanne Johnson / Made By History,
TIME,
3 June 2024
-
That doesn’t always gel with the sardonic remove the writers built into their material, nor the show’s prescient awareness of the sardonic tango of showbiz and politic power, personal branding and the possibility for genuinely populist adoration by those craving relief from being ignored.—
Chris Jones,
chicagotribune.com,
4 Feb. 2022
Noun
-
Resisting Systemic Drift On the world stage, inertia is often called diplomacy, status quo, or economic realism.—
Nell Derick Debevoise,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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The truth Trump may be reluctant to post about is that Russia’s diplomacy has predictably dissolved into a dizzying Catherine wheel of tangents.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Wear old clothes and shoes Bring flashlights Watch for sharp objects Avoid food waste Wash your hands Be polite and cooperate if you are asked to leave The Fresno Bee 559-441-6005 Fernanda Galan covers Central Valley and California news as The Fresno Bee’s service journalism reporter.—
Fernanda Galan,
Sacbee.com,
16 Apr. 2025
-
Which felt like a polite way of saying the same thing.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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This is not so much a question of good manners as good visibility.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Mar. 2025
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Leighton said being respectful of the flight crew, keeping your stuff in order, disposing of your trash responsibly, and just generally minding your manners make the flying experience more pleasant for everyone.—
Zach Wichter,
USA TODAY,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Iran's nuclear program is under pressure from the U.S., which accuses the Islamic Republic of seeking to develop the technology to give it nuclear weapons and has threatened to bomb Iran if a diplomatic solution is not reached that could prevent it from ever acquiring them.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Apr. 2025
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Trump has said previously that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and has indicated that if the diplomatic route is unfruitful, military action against the country could follow.—
Filip Timotija,
The Hill,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
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This may be a function of his trademark persistence rather than of tact.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
The New Yorker,
10 Mar. 2025
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The key is proceeding with tact—sometimes humor, sometimes concern.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Jihan, 30, who worked in a farm supply store, had found those forces professional and respectful.—
Christina Goldbaum,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025
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When Black women have access to respectful, quality care before, during, and after pregnancy, their families and communities thrive.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Finding narratives that can still cut through the noise and resonate with fractured audiences will demand unprecedented creativity and sensitivity from communicators.—
Fahad Qadir,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
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But outside of folks with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, there’s no conclusive evidence that gluten consumption triggers inflammation.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tactful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tactful. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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