masterstroke

or mas·ter stroke

[ mas-ter-strohk, mah-ster- ]
See synonyms for masterstroke on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a masterly action or achievement; an extremely skillful or effective action: War was avoided by a masterstroke of diplomacy.

Origin of masterstroke

1
First recorded in 1670–80; master + stroke1

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use masterstroke in a sentence

  • It was a master stroke of policy, and the event proved the choice of the man to be admirable in every way.

    The Panama Canal | Frederic Jennings Haskin

British Dictionary definitions for masterstroke

masterstroke

/ (ˈmɑːstəˌstrəʊk) /


noun
  1. an outstanding piece of strategy, skill, talent, etc: your idea is a masterstroke

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012