: 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

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.
Hard acceleration on a slightly greasy road can create a slight jump, because this car is powerful enough to lose traction, but the car’s safety systems jump in ably to keep things travelling in the right direction. James Morris, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024 Martha, again in the mid-1990s, ably demonstrating the only proper way to prune an unruly tree. Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 29 Oct. 2024 Barrera also ably keeps the picture’s many tones in check, playing the big emotional moments with just enough humor to keep us from whipsawing from one extreme to another. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2024 Loosely based on Shirley Jackson’s gothic horror novel of the same name, this creepy tale is skillfully directed by Mike Flanagan (Doctor Sleep), ably assisted by a strong cast that includes Carla Gugino, Timothy Hutton, and Victoria Pedretti. Simon Hill, WIRED, 31 Oct. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near ably

Cite this Entry

“Ably.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ably. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

ably

adverb
ˈā-blē
: in an able manner

More from Merriam-Webster on ably

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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