masterstroke

American  

[mas-ter-strohk, mah-ster-] / ˈmæs tərˌstroʊk, ˈmɑ stər- /

Or master stroke

noun

1. a masterly action or achievement; an extremely skillful or effective action.

   War was avoided by a masterstroke of diplomacy.

---

masterstroke British  

/ ˈmɑːstəˌstrəʊk /

noun

1. an outstanding piece of strategy, skill, talent, etc

   your idea is a masterstroke

---

Etymology

Origin of masterstroke

First recorded in 1670–80; master + stroke ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

masterstroke

On the 37th move of a Go game between one of the world’s best players and a computer program developed by Google’s DeepMind lab, the AI made an unconventional masterstroke to win the game.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

His masterstroke came with the creation of Disneyland in 1955, just as audience attention was shifting to the new medium of television.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

But the move appears to have been a masterstroke.

From BBC ● Apr. 15, 2026

There are plenty of decent companies in other countries—just ask Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett, whose bet on Japanese trading companies is rapidly turning out to be a late-career masterstroke.

From Barron's ● Feb. 10, 2026

But it is the masterstroke of the green spot, shining like a beacon in the middle of her forehead, that conveys the anguish of the girl’s confrontation with her inner self.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson