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
-
Many have significant reservations about the safety and efficacy of the COVID vaccine, despite assurances from most experts that the benefits outweigh the risks.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Sep. 2025
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While Thursday’s vote against the combo shot may seem like a small tweak, experts said the fact that the panel was revisiting older vaccines can erode confidence in the overall vaccine process.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Brown's former master distiller left his job at a grocery store and returned to bourbon making for a few months each year during the final chapter of Prohibition.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
16 Sep. 2025
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These roles typically require a master’s degree but offer starting salaries in the $50,000-$70,000 range with significant growth potential.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Emirati youth delegations visited Israel; Israeli and Emirati scholars co-presented their work at conferences all over Abu Dhabi; and festive meals were served following the Jewish and Islamic dietary laws when Passover and Ramadan overlapped.—
Monica Marks,
Time,
19 Sep. 2025
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Baskin, a scholar of Rabbinic literature and former president of the Association for Jewish Studies, here offers a straightforward, clear introduction to the field of Jewish Studies in the United States and Canada, covering many of the key aspects and issues.—
Josh Lambert,
JSTOR Daily,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This rendition of the beloved franchise follows the Smurfs on a mission to save Papa Smurf, who was stolen by evil wizards Razamel and Gargamel.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Look for an enrollment wizard through notifications and in Settings, Microsoft says.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
An effective trustee is skilled in conflict resolution and adept at maintaining open communication while prioritizing the trust’s objectives.—
Royce Ramey,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
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
Noun
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Scattered across other programs are such surefire wonders as the Russian ballerina Olga Smirnova, and the gliding virtuoso Lil Buck interpreting a gospel hymn with the bass-baritone Davoné Tines.—B.S. (City Center; Sept. 16-27.) Pick Three Rachel Syme on movies with a sense of style.—
Sheldon Pearce,
New Yorker,
12 Sep. 2025
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MetLiveArts, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s performing arts series, will kick off its 2025-2026 season tomorrow night with a program featuring pipa virtuoso Wu Man.—
Jane Levere,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The organization's mission includes creating opportunities for artists of all ages and backgrounds, Jordan told gala guests.—
Carin Schoppmeyer,
Arkansas Online,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Guided in part by virtual world building sessions hosted by the organization in which the public was invited to imagine a future where reparations as a policy has already happened and given way to a culture of repair, six leading Afrofuturist artists envision 2165 Earth.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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For Wentz, the positives to being able to start for a quarterback guru like Kevin O'Connell are fairly obvious.—
Reice Shipley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
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Kevin O’Connell is an offense coach and a guru on that end of the field.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Past master.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/past%20master. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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