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
Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 June 2025
Cooking eggplant perfectly takes some finesse—who among us hasn’t watched helplessly as too-thick slices soak up oceans of olive oil and emerge soggy and undercooked?
—Joe Sevier, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 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
Canada's possible lineup is loaded with firepower and finesse.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 June 2025
Cooking eggplant perfectly takes some finesse—who among us hasn’t watched helplessly as too-thick slices soak up oceans of olive oil and emerge soggy and undercooked?
—Joe Sevier, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 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
-
Literacy is a basic ability, and fluency is the next level of skill in an area or domain.—
Nisha Talagala,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
-
Others marveled at his ability to stand up to Trump with clarity and compassion.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 July 2025
Verb
-
Trump ratcheted up tariffs on Canada as the two sides negotiate a trade deal.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
11 July 2025
-
In a world where AI agents will negotiate contracts, manage assets, and execute decisions, this kind of integration isn’t a novelty.—
Sandy Carter,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
Dexter stalks his next victim (Marc Menchaca) — a killer who targets ride-share drivers — while the ghost of his father Harry (James Remar) urges him to be careful, and a fidgety Harrison tries to evade police suspicions.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
10 July 2025
-
Ten people involved in the ambush were arrested that night or early the next morning, but Song evaded capture, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
And the company behind the bet was Google, which had acquired legacy phone maker Motorola Mobility and was leveraging its modern tech prowess and vast resources to make the Moto X smartphone a success.—
Verne Kopytoff,
Fortune,
5 July 2025
-
Mexico enters the semifinal after a 2-0 win over Saudi Arabia, breaking a 166-minute goal drought and reasserting their attacking prowess.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 July 2025
Verb
-
Even a congressional candidate has alleged that humans manipulated the weather behind the Fourth of July weekend floods in Texas, which left at least 120 people dead and more than 170 still missing.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Austin American Statesman,
12 July 2025
-
Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to run malicious code or access other parts of your system by manipulating memory.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
For efficient and safe removal, residents should avoid stacking debris near trees, utility poles, mailboxes, fire hydrants, or meters.—
Robbie Farias,
Austin American Statesman,
12 July 2025
-
Together, the groups have created a high-tech stage in the upper stands, to avoid potentially damaging the pitch at halftime of such an important game, featuring 40,000 pounds of gear, scenery and structural trusses.—
Melanie Anzidei,
New York Times,
12 July 2025
Noun
-
Despite the car's issues, Verstappen's talent behind the wheel enabled him to win his fourth championship, but Perez found the car too difficult to drive.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 July 2025
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His early stardom never quite translated into a stable senior career as opportunities dried up in a system overflowing with talent.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 July 2025
Verb
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The other member of the trio, Kosmos 2583, released its sub-satellite and maneuvered around it for about a month, then raised its orbit to match that of Kosmos 2581.—
Robert Pearlman,
ArsTechnica,
11 July 2025
-
Rowin pushes and steers with the handle at the back, maneuvering toward the front door.—
Scott Craven,
AZCentral.com,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Finesse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finesse. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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