as in ability
mental skill or quickness
maneuvered his opponent into checkmate with his customary finesse
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of finesse
Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 14 May 2025
Every team needs an unrelenting leader, someone who fights and cusses and protects its stars, who provides the force so others can deliver the finesse.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 7 May 2025
Esther Kang, People.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Could that clunky, creepy dialogue not have been finessed a little?
—Rebecca Luther, TVLine, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for finesse
Noun
There was no finesse or flair, and Coventry, who finished the regular season with a wet sail while the team above them floundered, were only too willing to take the game to Sunderland.
—Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 14 May 2025
Every team needs an unrelenting leader, someone who fights and cusses and protects its stars, who provides the force so others can deliver the finesse.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 7 May 2025
Verb
Fans saw Belinda and her son (Nicholas Duvernay) ride off into the sunset after finessing a $5 million check from Greg (Jon Gries) in exchange for keeping quiet about his involvement in his late wife Tanya's (Jennifer Coolidge) murder.
—Esther Kang, People.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Could that clunky, creepy dialogue not have been finessed a little?
—Rebecca Luther, TVLine, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for finesse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finesse
Noun
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However, human ability to connect, imagine, and navigate ambiguity remains irreplaceable.—
Arafat Kabir,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
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Spending time in our country’s national parks offers a powerful reminder of nature’s ability to uplift and inspire.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
4 June 2025
Verb
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For starters, unlike Trump’s single-minded focus on China during his first-term trade war, Trump 2.0 is sparring with every country on the planet with the ostensible goal of negotiating freer and fairer trade deals, from our closest democratic allies to the Chinese Communist Party.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2025
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Here’s the thing, no employee should be left to negotiate basic dignity on their own.—
Aparna Rae,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Verb
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The last few months have borne witness to AI systems learning to mislead, cheat, and try to evade shutdown—even resorting to blackmail.—
Harry Booth,
Time,
3 June 2025
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Massey has evaded hundreds of authorities in a multistate manhunt.—
Holly Yan,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
Noun
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In addition to her prowess at finding the net in soccer, Nelson is adept at hitting balls over the net as a tennis player.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2025
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But his prowess on the golf course goes well beyond Augusta National and Quail Hollow.—
Kendall Capps,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 May 2025
Verb
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Deepfakes are manipulated images, audio recordings, or videos of real people that have been altered with artificial intelligence to misrepresent someone as saying or doing something that the person did not actually say or do.—
Alain Sherter,
CBS News,
6 June 2025
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Not possessed of any special abilities, Achebe instead manipulates his ways into political power in Wakanda.—
Michileen Martin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
Verb
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The team’s careful planning and early outreach helped avoid problems in the future, like having to replace important music in post-production – something that simply wasn’t an option here.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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Yet Trump held his fire, in part because of an effort to avoid an escalation that would trigger Musk to declare all-out war against Republican lawmakers weighing the future of a bill essential to his entire agenda, according to two White House officials.—
Phil Mattingly,
CNN Money,
6 June 2025
Noun
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There was a concern Forest would have to cash in on either Morgan Gibbs-White or Murillo — the Brazilian who retains the unusual talent, for a defender, of being truly exciting to watch — to keep themselves out of PSR trouble.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
6 June 2025
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Pittsburgh has the talent on the roster to win at a high level with a star quarterback under center.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 June 2025
Verb
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The military's motive for funding nuclear thermal propulsion was its potential for becoming a more efficient means of maneuvering around the Earth.—
Stephen Clark – Jun 3,
ArsTechnica,
3 June 2025
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The fact is that the indomitable Erdogan has run out of room to maneuver.—
Henri J. Barkey,
Foreign Affairs,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Finesse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finesse. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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