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Masterstroke

n. capable, energetic warm

What it means

A brilliantly judged action or idea that has an unusually strong effect.

Reach for it when praising one decisive choice within a strategy, design, or performance

Moving the entrance beside the garden was a masterstroke of practical design.

Words to choose between 8

By register, from playful at the top to literary at the bottom. Tap a word to see when it fits.
playful
everyday
warm
professional
formal

  • playful

    smart touch

    Suits a small addition that improves the whole result

    Careful The casual phrase understates a decisive, high-skill intervention.

  • everyday

    brilliant move

    Suits a smart decision with clear strategic benefit

    Careful Brilliant move can sound competitive and may ignore patient collaborative work.

  • everyday

    winning idea

    Fits when an idea succeeds clearly with its audience or purpose

    Careful Winning can sound promotional and says little about why the idea works.

  • warm

    inspired choice

    Fits when creative judgment seems especially apt

    Careful Inspired can hide the evidence and labor that led to the choice.

  • warm

    stroke of genius

    Fits when an inspired idea appears exceptionally original and effective

    Careful The phrase is extravagant for a sound choice reached through ordinary analysis.

  • professional

    decisive move

    Fits when timing and consequence matter more than originality

    Careful A decisive move can be necessary without being ingenious.

  • professional

    strategic triumph

    Fits when one decision materially secures the larger objective

    Careful Triumph overstates a useful move before its long-term results are known.

  • formal

    coup

    Fits when a surprising success gives a strong advantage or wins prestige

    Careful Coup implies competition and can sound aggressive or political.

Opposites 3

  • blunder
  • miscalculation
  • own goal

Common phrases 3

  • design masterstroke

    The shaded courtyard proved to be a design masterstroke in summer.

  • political masterstroke

    The joint announcement was described as a political masterstroke.

  • prove a masterstroke

    Keeping the old staircase would prove a masterstroke once the building reopened.

Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Updated