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
Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 7 July 2025
Sometimes, this can involve a minor touch-up, such as adding a bit of fresh soil, but at other times, these maintenance tasks require more elbow grease and finesse.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 June 2025
Michael Silver, New York Times, 21 May 2025
However, Teyana Taylor finessed Chick-Fil-A into the 2023 Met Gala and returned this year as host and co-chair.
—Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for finesse
Noun
The demo landed in the hands of Fred again.., who added his finesse to the final track.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 7 July 2025
Sometimes, this can involve a minor touch-up, such as adding a bit of fresh soil, but at other times, these maintenance tasks require more elbow grease and finesse.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 June 2025
Verb
This time, Philly finessed the existing rules and came up with a nearly unstoppable play.
—Michael Silver, New York Times, 21 May 2025
However, Teyana Taylor finessed Chick-Fil-A into the 2023 Met Gala and returned this year as host and co-chair.
—Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for finesse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finesse
Noun
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In the Senate, where the GOP currently has a slim 53 to 47 majority, being the party in charge is vital for the president and his ability to pass key legislation priorities, confirm nominees, including any potential Supreme Court vacancies.—
Savannah Kuchar,
USA Today,
3 Aug. 2025
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Meanwhile Kal-El, an alien from the planet Krypton who embraces a new identity on Earth as Superman, comes well-equipped with superhuman abilities.—
Devan Coggan,
EW.com,
3 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The proposal by the Commission was negotiated behind closed doors and largely held secret until the final draft was approved.—
Jon McGowan,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
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This month, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro negotiated a prisoner swap with the United States, releasing 10 American citizens in his custody and dozens of Venezuelan political prisoners.—
Gisela Salim-Peyer,
The Atlantic,
24 July 2025
Verb
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According to one speaker, removing those guardrails and creating a dedicated non-public LLM can be an effective way to create malware and devise techniques for evading antivirus detection.—
Neil J. Rubenking,
PC Magazine,
1 Aug. 2025
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The rivers and waterways of Klong Root are seen in the penultimate scenes of Jurassic World Rebirth, as protagonists Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey) and Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) attempt to evade dinosaurs by paddling downriver.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
29 July 2025
Noun
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Under Allan’s servant leadership, Panasonic Energy has become the leading global supplier of cylindrical lithium-ion batteries, both in scale and technical prowess.—
Allan Swan,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
-
Isak is an athletic dribbler with the power, technical prowess and eye for goal that teams covet.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
28 July 2025
Verb
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Fast-forward to this month, when Paramount agreed to a $16 million settlement to move past Trump's claims that CBS's 60 Minutes deceptively manipulated a pre-election interview with Kamala Harris.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
25 July 2025
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As for Tretter, Ferguson was more sympathetic despite whispers that the former Cleveland Browns guard from Akron Central High might have manipulated Howell’s rise to the NFLPA throne in exchange for a leadership role himself.—
Tim Graham,
New York Times,
24 July 2025
Verb
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Close the blinds and curtains on sun-facing windows to block the sun's rays and avoid unwanted heat.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
25 July 2025
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In his exit memo, Bennett urged the commission to avoid micromanaging the negotiation process and instead focus on big-picture policy, public engagement and trust-building.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 July 2025
Noun
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The continuity will help, especially considering 2024 district champion Arlington Bowie lost a fair amount of offensive talent.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 July 2025
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With an unrivaled pool of creative and executive talent to draw from across Los Angeles, the question was always who from the worlds of film and television would Casey Wasserman tap to add Hollywood sizzle to the 2028 Olympic Games.—
Peter Kiefer,
HollywoodReporter,
23 July 2025
Verb
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And these two will maneuver, manipulate, and murder anyone who gets in their way.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
22 July 2025
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July is on course to set new records for the intensity of cross-border attacks. LONDON -- Russia and Ukraine again exchanged a series of major overnight drone strikes as the two sides maneuvered ahead of a possible resumption of ceasefire talks later this week.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
21 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Finesse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finesse. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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