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.

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masterstroke British  

/ ˈmɑːstəˌstrəʊk /

noun

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

   your idea is a masterstroke

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Etymology

Origin of masterstroke

First recorded in 1670–80; master + stroke ¹

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

masterstroke

In retrospect, the hire appears to have been a masterstroke considering the fact that Matos had only managed 12 senior games before moving to Swansea - those coming in the Portuguese second division.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

And building private islands has been a masterstroke.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

She writes, “The masterstroke of The Disappearers is that James lands the finish, a feat of generosity, compassion, and, as with the rest of this unforgettable book, unconquerable bravado.”

From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2026

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

Roiben’s joining the High Court of Elfhame is widely considered to be a masterstroke of diplomacy, negotiated by Prince Dain against Madoc’s wishes.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

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