as in ability
mental skill or quickness
maneuvered his opponent into checkmate with his customary finesse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to negotiate
to plan out usually with subtle skill or care
had to finesse the schedule a bit to fit in another patient that afternoon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to evade
to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery
tried to finesse the blame for the foreign policy fiasco, even though he was secretary of state at the time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of finesse
Julia Teti, Footwear News, 11 June 2026
A lot of staff have worked at other Luxury Lodges, and exude the finesse of career hospitality staff.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 20 Feb. 2026
This no-wipe gel formula comes with a short, easy-to-finesse spoolie applicator that can make stripes, waves, and ripples.
—Rosa Pyo, Allure, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for finesse
Noun
Contemporary design cues are front and center for Li, with a bevy of designs that imbue color blocking with structural finesse.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 11 June 2026
A lot of staff have worked at other Luxury Lodges, and exude the finesse of career hospitality staff.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Verb
Repossi finessed the rose gold used in its latest spiraling Blast high jewelry pieces, playing up its yellow gleam under a gradient of orange gemstones.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 20 Feb. 2026
This no-wipe gel formula comes with a short, easy-to-finesse spoolie applicator that can make stripes, waves, and ripples.
—Rosa Pyo, Allure, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for finesse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finesse
Noun
-
Smith helped catalyze the 49ers’ historic turnaround during his rookie season in 2011 thanks to his ability to disrupt quarterbacks.—
Michael McGough,
Sacbee.com,
14 June 2026
-
Anthropic has said Mythos represents a danger to the public because of its ability to find bugs in computer code, which could be exploited by malicious actors.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
Canada negotiates lower drug prices for all its citizens under its universal health care system.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
-
Again, this could be negotiated.—
Chris McKenna,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Russia is believed to be using a fleet of hundreds of ships to evade sanctions over its war against Ukraine.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 June 2026
-
According to police, the vehicle was able to evade capture.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
Kamada said the talent and experience of his teammates helped Japan avoid being discouraged after falling behind for a second time.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 June 2026
-
The talent was clearly there, but there was always a stumbling block.—
Mark Anderson,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
What online scammers are looking to steal The FBI issued a warning last month that cybercriminals are manipulating or reproducing the official FIFA World Cup website to scam fans who are looking for tickets, hospitality packages, merchandise, streaming access and betting opportunities.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
-
Ironically then, the state’s efforts to verify the legitimacy of ballots lengthen the count, which then leads to allegations that the count is being manipulated.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Maintain a safe distance from windows and avoid seeking refuge in large open rooms like cafeterias, gymnasiums, or auditoriums.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
14 June 2026
-
Nearly 500,000 Russian soldiers have died in the war, according to some Western intelligence reports, and hundreds of thousands more have left the country to avoid being drafted.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
But in mid-June, Turner was already a three-win player, combining his usual offensive prowess with an unexpected improvement with the glove.—
Stephen J. Nesbitt,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
Our brain’s fortune-telling prowess also helps us in social situations.—
Dr. Deepika Chopra,
Flow Space,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
There is no way to maneuver or dispose of them if left abandoned in orbit after releasing their payloads.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
15 June 2026
-
The company thinks this feature is more important now that military and commercial satellites can maneuver more often.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Finesse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finesse. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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