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
-
Travelers beware: From vacation scams to insurance to personal safety, a few key considerations can make or break a big trip, according to industry experts.—
Gretchen Eichenberg,
Fox News,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Adopt a zero-tolerance approach: Document every incident thoroughly with legal experts and witnesses, distinguishing valid concerns from smear campaigns, false claims or prejudice.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Every master craftsman had their own tools – often specialized and always prized possessions handed down from generation to generation.—
John Sviokla,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
-
Raq is a master manipulator who claims to value loyalty above all else, especially from her henchmen brothers Marvin (London Brown) and Lou (Malcolm Mays) and her only son, yet constantly destabilizes the three of them with selfish mind games and power plays that genuinely harm them.—
Robyn Bahr,
The Hollywood Reporter,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Legal scholars question what will happen to the Fed if the Supreme Court says independent agencies are unconstitutional.—
Greg Rosalsky,
NPR,
4 Mar. 2025
-
The Department Of Education Is Already Being Dismantled, Impacting Student Loan Operations Most legal scholars agree that Trump cannot simply eliminate the Department of Education through executive action.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
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O’Reilly has Stanley Cup pedigree, defensive prowess and is a wizard at the faceoff dot.—
Jesse Granger,
The Athletic,
26 Feb. 2025
-
Selena Gomez is making her return to the Disney+ series Wizards Beyond Waverly Place as free-wheeling wizard Alex Russo, and Entertainment Weekly has an exclusive first look from the episode.—
Calie Schepp,
EW.com,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Around him, dense as a swarm of tiny insects, float tiny images of fellow adepts engaged in all manner of outré shenanigans.—
Holland Cotter,
New York Times,
26 Dec. 2024
-
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
Noun
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Starr is also accompanied by Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Brenda Lee (whose career predates the Beatles) and contemporary bluegrass virtuoso Tuttle.—
Ilana Kaplan,
People.com,
5 Mar. 2025
-
They are joined by Hawaiian slack key guitar virtuoso Stephen Inglis.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
22 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Kenz Warfield is the owner and artist at Kreativity by Kenz in Baltimore, Maryland.—
Jennifer Prince,
Southern Living,
1 Mar. 2025
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As the title hints, the relationship was plagued with disagreements, and the artist soon abandoned her original idea for a collaboration with the organization.—
Fabiola Iza,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2025
Noun
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As anti-aging gurus will tell you, collagen is a large molecule that help gives skin its firm, smooth appearance.—
Alison Escalante,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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Meghan McCain and Bethenny Frankel are criticizing the aspiring lifestyle guru as Mindy Kaling defended misconceptions surrounding her friend in a recent interview.—
Jay Stahl,
USA TODAY,
21 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Past master.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/past%20master. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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