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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of finesse
Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2025
For example, an expensive sequin dress will have the finesse in finishings that an affordable wedding guest dress might not.
—Adam Mansuroglu, Footwear News, 27 Apr. 2025
Ned Temko, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Apr. 2025
Former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets lobbed it ahead to the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, who twisted around three Sporting defenders and finessed a shot past keeper John Pulskamp.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for finesse
Noun
Tom Cruise can hang off the sides of flying planes and motorcycle-jump off cliffs for Mission: Impossible, but the franchise’s parent companies can’t seem to merge with the same finesse.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2025
For example, an expensive sequin dress will have the finesse in finishings that an affordable wedding guest dress might not.
—Adam Mansuroglu, Footwear News, 27 Apr. 2025
Verb
But there has also been growing popular support for their own governments’ attempts to finesse, repel, or try to future-proof their countries against the dramatic shift in U.S. tone and policy.
—Ned Temko, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Apr. 2025
Former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets lobbed it ahead to the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, who twisted around three Sporting defenders and finessed a shot past keeper John Pulskamp.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for finesse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finesse
Noun
-
They were questioned about the running back’s blocking ability.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
11 May 2025
-
Many Democrats at the time had privately expressed concerns with his ability to lead the panel, given his cancer diagnosis announced two days after winning reelection in 2024.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
11 May 2025
Verb
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Trump signed an executive order on Monday encouraging linking the cost of prescription drugs to what's paid in other nations where drug prices are negotiated by their government and tend to be much lower.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
14 May 2025
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But the next phase of Trump’s agenda runs through the House, where Republicans are negotiating a budget bill extending his first-term tax cuts, now set to expire at the end of the year, while cutting social programs, including Medicaid.—
Michelle Goldberg,
Mercury News,
13 May 2025
Verb
-
Engineered to evade interception by U.S. defenses such as THAAD, the missile presents a direct challenge to Western military dominance and poses a potential threat to regional allies like Israel.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
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Vita's Ukrainian mother (my grandmother) survived as an orphan for two years under German occupation and barely evaded being carted off to Germany to work as a forced laborer.—
Sasha Vasilyuk,
Time,
8 May 2025
Noun
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Listen to this article While Universal is known for crafting compelling movies that transport people to faraway worlds, the company has also developed its prowess in making those come to life through its captivating theme parks.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 May 2025
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The company leaned into its background and prowess as a tech company.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2025
Verb
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Life-changing events, including the loss of a spouse, early onset dementia or another medical issue, can trigger changes in the way someone would react to anyone who is experienced at manipulating people to part with their money.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
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For instance, prompt injection attacks—a new twist on the traditional prompt injection attack, where malicious prompts manipulate AI behavior—require novel defensive approaches beyond conventional security controls.—
Omar Turner,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
Verb
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The key question is whether the data behind digital twins is sound enough to avoid the pitfalls that result in data decay over time (i.e., entropy).—
Mika Newton,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
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The absence of ducts avoids renovation costs and minimizes construction inconvenience.—
Jon Stojan,
USA Today,
13 May 2025
Noun
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Either way, landing this pick is their best chance to add another high-level talent to their current core.—
Bryan Toporek,
Forbes.com,
12 May 2025
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Though the Cubs have outfield depth with Seiya Suzuki and more young talent in the minors, losing Happ for an extended period would sting.—
Sahadev Sharma,
New York Times,
12 May 2025
Verb
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Each satellite will maneuver into more specific orbits to within the Starlink megaconstellation over the next few days.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
10 May 2025
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The drill, which focused on maneuvering, aimed to enhance cooperation between the three navies and to improve Japan's capabilities.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Finesse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finesse. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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