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
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
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
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
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
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
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
-
There's no exact cause known for the rise in cancers among young people, according to experts, but researchers are trying to figure it out.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
12 Feb. 2026
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Overall, however, experts say there is little regulatory oversight for baby foods sold in the United States.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The center will introduce a new bachelor’s degree in space physics and data science, and a new fast-track master’s degree.—
Samuel O’Neal
February 10,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Feb. 2026
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Holmes, the master scholar-biographer of Coleridge and Shelley, is ideally qualified for such a gig.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In the face of widespread pessimism about the political fate of the United States and growing political polarization, scholars and citizens across the country are reimagining how American democracy could better serve the needs of the whole population.—
Jennifer Lynn McCoy,
The Conversation,
11 Feb. 2026
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Obviously, as a scholar of the reality-television arts and sciences, this final reason is the most interesting to me.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Meanwhile, Alouette has become an adept of dye recipes.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Animal physiologist Peter Hansen, a professor at the University of Florida who was not involved with the Veronika research, said he’s unsurprised by her adept handling of tools given the high levels of cognition he’s observed in cows.—
Leslie Katz,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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For years, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has been a wizard at designing blitzes that fool quarterbacks.—
Sam McDowell
February 5,
Kansas City Star,
5 Feb. 2026
-
That was until April 2016, when Universal Studios Hollywood unveiled its own 200-foot-tall Hogwarts castle inspired by the beloved wizard.—
Kailyn Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Suffused with dread and bathed in reverb, the record captures two virtuosos at their most vulnerable.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
23 Jan. 2026
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And the first half was a virtuoso blend of aggressiveness and controlling tempo from Payton, as Nix had a couple of deep shots to Marvin Mims and Lil'Jordan Humphrey, but also controlled the game with his legs.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Former President Barack Obama's foundation sent support to Bad Bunny ahead of the Latin artist's Super Bowl LV halftime performance in a post that also appeared to counter recent criticism of the show's headliner.—
Kate Perez,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
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At the halftime show for the Super Bowl — or the ‘Benito Bowl’, or ‘Bad Bunny Bowl’, as many have dubbed it online — Bad Bunny became the first artist to perform a half time show entirely in Spanish.—
Madeleine Schulz,
Vogue,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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That same buzz has followed him to Brooklyn, when the pizza guru opened a Park Slope outpost in late 2025.—
Andrea Strong,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 Feb. 2026
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The great management guru Peter Drucker wrote about the need to observe how people work, identify their needs, and then translate that need into demand for something better.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Past master.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/past%20master. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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