as in politely
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Recent Examples of tactfully
Forgoing opulence and drama, Stone’s floor-length dress featured a flowing silhouette and distinct gray lines tactfully exposing the seams of the garment.
—
Julia Teti, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2025
The royal family are responsible for the seating arrangements at the state dinner and appear to have tactfully seated the media mogul far away from the president to avoid any awkward encounters.
—Amanda Castro
hannah Parry
shane Croucher
jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
At the top of the drive, a Greek-temple art museum presides, its most recent cultural icon—Sylvester Stallone as Rocky—tactfully tucked out of sight.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
But do it tactfully, in a way that resonates well.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tactfully
Adverb
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As seen in a video shared to X by Lizzie Robinson of ITV, the Princess of Wales politely said hello to a patient there, asked her name and made the connection between the woman and William, the heir to the throne.—
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Fear, hunger and repression did not stop politely at national borders.—
Adverb
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These include commitments to support Ukraine militarily, diplomatically and economically in the event of a future armed attack by Russia.—
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Whichever country claims the lead could gain an edge not just technologically and economically, but also diplomatically, militarily, and in any area that relies on ingenuity.—
Adverb
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He was found to be incompetent to face the charge in August 2023, and later civilly committed for a mental illness.—
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In those cases, talking it over civilly may be enough to come to agreement.—
Cite this Entry
“Tactfully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tactfully. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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