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
-
Legal experts on religion cases expect the court will side with the Rastafarian.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
2 Aug. 2025
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An emergency mental health crisis hold isn’t enough to stop someone from buying a gun, though, according to experts who spoke to the Review Journal.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
2 Aug. 2025
Noun
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There’s also a potential downside to the biggest upside: ownership of the masters.—
Todd Longwell,
Variety,
30 July 2025
-
Thomas grew up in Hartford, graduated from East Catholic High School in 1965 and later got a master’s degree in criminal justice from the University of New Haven, according to his obituary.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
29 July 2025
Noun
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But true seasonal scholars know autumn actually begins when Bath & Body Works drops their fall candle collection—and something inside us shifts.—
Katie Ann Lehman,
StyleCaster,
25 July 2025
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International conferences dedicated to the genre attract dancers, musicians and scholars from around the world.—
Wilfredo José Burgos Matos,
The Conversation,
25 July 2025
Noun
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Much of Superman's second act is spent inside a 'pocket dimension' used by Lex Luthor and his LuthorCorp scientists and tech wizards.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
17 July 2025
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The company announced a TV series based on all seven books about the boy wizard written by J.K. Rowling.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
14 July 2025
Noun
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The digital adept also had a nearly eight-year stretch at Teen Vogue.—
Hikmat Mohammed,
Footwear News,
3 Sep. 2019
-
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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But the question remained: Why would one of music’s most acclaimed and elusive virtuosos take a high school gig from this kid at all?—
David Kushner,
Rolling Stone,
20 July 2025
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An international accordion virtuoso will perform at 7:30 p.m. July 21 in the Normandy Room of the Elmhurst American Legion Post, 310 W. Butterfield Road, Elmhurst.—
Melinda Moore,
Chicago Tribune,
17 July 2025
Noun
-
Shops will host artists, and there will be pop-up bars and live music.—
Caroline Ritzie,
The Enquirer,
24 July 2025
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Kingfish was born there with contemporary blues artists like Ghalia Volt spending time there.—
Jim Ryan,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
Noun
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Now, Amy Odell is digging deeper into the actress turned guru’s varied life and career in her new biography, Gwyneth, out now.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
29 July 2025
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Pascal placed his full faith in the Hollywood strength guru, who had experience with post-injury training.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
23 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Past master.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/past%20master. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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