1
as in negotiated
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in avoided
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
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Recent Examples of finessed
In the other, a talented pitcher in a true breakout year overpowered some hitters and, against others, finessed his way out of pressure spots with men on base.
—
Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
The state finessed that by assuming his car was repaired after the robbery.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025
Language was finessed in other ways, too.
—Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2025
Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
The state finessed that by assuming his car was repaired after the robbery.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025
Language was finessed in other ways, too.
—Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finessed
Verb
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Also in the package, which was negotiated behind closed doors during the final days of the 9-month legislative session, were deals to replenish the state wildfire fund and create a regional electric grid for western states to trade excess energy.—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacbee.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Bay Area state senators Scott Wiener and Jesse Arreguin had negotiated a $750 million loan for transit into this year’s budget, meant to avoid service cuts until voters authorize a potential regional sales tax measure in November 2026 that could provide longterm replacement for farebox revenue.—
Kate Talerico,
Mercury News,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Since taking office, Kennedy has mostly avoided even rhetorically linking specific environmental exposures to health concerns.—
Zoë Schlanger,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
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In fact, Iryna’s closest Ukrainian relatives have largely avoided the media since her death, due perhaps in part to a language barrier, but mainly because this combination of fresh horror and grief is too intense.—
Theoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Windows 11 Pro is engineered to work with your PC—not against it—so your system finally runs like the powerhouse it was built to be.—
StackCommerce Team,
PC Magazine,
14 Sep. 2025
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Marandi’s team engineered their OPO at the nanoscale on a chip.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In Milwaukee, Kellner said that around 33% of bus riders have evaded paying fares in 2025 but that the agency has identified a few cost-neutral strategies targeted at reducing fare evasion down to 30% by September 2026, the same rate of evasion busses saw in 2024.—
Claudia Levens,
jsonline.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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The big plays evaded the Eagles both through the air and on the ground.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The sound of the tuning forks was then digitally manipulated to fit the pitch of the music and timed to match any moves the characters make.—
Joan MacDonald,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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Russia's Influence Operations in 2016, Russia conducted extensive campaigns during the presidential election, employing fake personas, troll farms, and manipulated content to inflame racial, ideological, and cultural divisions.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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On September 7, dog owner Brittany U'Wren was devastated to learn that her rescue Shitzu mix, named Lexi, had escaped through the garage and disappeared from her home in Lexington, Kentucky.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
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The 1850 version mandated that the federal government actively help slave catchers track and apprehend people who’d escaped slavery.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Microsoft Teams app on a laptop arranged in New York, US, on Tuesday, June 25, 2024.—
Ryan Browne,
CNBC,
12 Sep. 2025
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The three-petal footprint arranged in a Y-shape isn’t just for aesthetic purposes.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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To avoid this scenario, Makadia's team plotted the best spots on an asteroid's surface to avoid the keyhole.—
Elizabeth Howell,
Space.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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For one, Leonard signed a max contract—unlike with Smith and the Timberwolves, there’s no claim Leonard and the Clippers plotted a scheme where he’d be paid less in the short term in exchange for being paid more later.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Finessed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finessed. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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