ably

adverb

ˈā-b(ə-)lē How to pronounce ably (audio)
Synonyms of ablynext
: in an able and skillful manner : with ability, skill, or proficiency
was ably assisted
This silly comic Christmas romp is ably performed by a cast of 22 actors, led by the high-spirited Danny McBride as the childlike Buddy.—Matthew Yde
Last year, she ably completed a half-marathon run with only minimal training.—Zachary Lewis

Synonyms of ably

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Examples of ably in a Sentence

ably maneuvered the boat up to the dock
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The other two, Molly Dogwood and Taylor Mosco, were circulating ably with the beautiful and naturally extroverted people. — Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026 Despite an occasional groan of narrative machinery, Vavrek ably repaces Saunders’s story line and carries its texty voices into song. — Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2026 The right person would ably balance greenlight authority with maintaining Netflix’s biggest talent relationships. — Josef Adalian, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026 Zeller sets this up ably by incorporating the sledgehammer blows of the builder hired by Toby into percussive passages of Volker Bertelmann’s ominous score. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ably

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ably was in the 14th century

Rhymes for ably

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Browse Nearby Words

ablution block
ably
ABM
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Cite this Entry

“Ably.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ably. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

ably

adverb
ˈā-blē
: in an able manner
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