It took a bit of deft footwork to get them to agree.deftdeft /deft/ adjective written 
He sketched her with quick, deft strokes. deft footwork2skilful at doing something SYN adept: his deft chairmanship of the company—deftly adverb—deftness noun [uncountable]
WORD ORIGINdeft
Origin:
1200-1300 daftEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- The songs demonstrate Costello's deft wordplay.
- All feature his full-bodied tone and deft improvisations.
- Associates describe him as a deft manipulator of the media and of the young women he turns into pop superstars.
- Combining powerful smashes with deft drop-shots, Hall beat Steve Baddeley 15-18, 15-4, 15-4 in a 66-minute final.
- Dreamy, deft and economical, it was born to prowl the airwaves.
- His work on Phylloxera is mimicked by deft strokes, as are his studies of chicken cholera.
- Our offer of riches beyond dreams still stands for those deft with pen and sharp of wit.
- Our sense of time within these television years is so deft that we can make all sorts of jokes from it.
- Thanks to deft chairmanship and bluntness, he drew from it a respectable report that won praise for its forthrightness.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES It took a bit of deft footwork to get them to agree.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN
1a deft movement is skilful, and often quick: It took a bit of deft footwork to get them to agree.· Wallace battled well till the end, but Deane looked unsettled and uninvolved, apart from a few deft touches back in defence.· Revealing his conclusion would spoil the fun because Hitt tells his story with a deft touch and a sharp wit.· Violet McBride, who is probably playing her last season for Portadown, displayed some deft touches.· Professor Uitsmijter has quite a deft touch in translation.· Its minimal size can work against it with the buttons requiring a deft touch.
He sketched her with quick, deft strokes. deft footwork2skilful at doing something SYN adept: his deft chairmanship of the company—deftly adverb—deftness noun [uncountable]