1
as in dusty
consisting of very small particles
the fine sand found on the island's beaches
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2
as in subtle
made or done with extreme care and accuracy
the fine distinction between bravery and recklessness
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3
as in thin
being of less than usual width
use a fine line for the outline of the facial features you intend to carve into the pumpkin
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4
as in OK
being to one's liking
that arrangement is fine with me
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5
as in pure
free from added matter
that silver is .9600 fine
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6
as in accurate
meeting the highest standard of accuracy
making the final fine adjustments on the car's GPS
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7
as in adequate
of a level of quality that meets one's needs or standards
the wine steward declared that the complaint of corkiness was unjustified and that the wine was fine
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8
as in small
of a size that is less than average
read the fine print
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9
as in excellent
of the very best kind
a fine performance of a classic ballet
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10
as in elegant
having qualities that appeal to a refined taste
savored every morsel of the restaurant's fine cuisine
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11
as in sensitive
able to sense slight impressions or differences
hearing so fine that it can seemingly hear the tiniest twig snap
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12
as in handsome
having or showing elegance
a fine old structure in the city's historic district
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as in penalty
a sum of money to be paid as a punishment
a $50 fine for speeding
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as in to impose
to establish or apply as a charge or penalty
the police will fine you for driving with one headlight out
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as in to filter
to remove usually visible impurities from
the use of egg shells to fine wine
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as in good
in a satisfactory way
you did just fine on the stress test
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of fine
Belinda Luscombe, Time, 3 Nov. 2025
Lightfoot, who died in 2023, called the song his finest work.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
If a gaming operator fails to notify a regulator, the consequences can be warnings, fines, and ultimately losing their license.
—Dian Zhang, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2025
Owners can be fined up to $500 for not picking up their dog's waste on public or private property.
—Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 29 Oct. 2025
John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 26 Oct. 2025
That works fine — except when there are 500 other curious people using their phones around you!
—Greg Palkot, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fine
Adjective
Tim is still teaching Demi the finer points of football, especially the downs.
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 3 Nov. 2025
Lightfoot, who died in 2023, called the song his finest work.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
Daboll signed a five-year contract as the Giants' head coach in 2022, a deal valued at between $25 and $30 million, giving him an average annual salary of around $5 or $6 million, making the $100k fine a significant loss.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
If a gaming operator fails to notify a regulator, the consequences can be warnings, fines, and ultimately losing their license.
—Dian Zhang, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
Marion earlier in the week was fined $10,000 by the Big Sky Conference for commenting about referees, including his frustration of having eight touchdowns called back this season.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2025
Owners can be fined up to $500 for not picking up their dog's waste on public or private property.
—Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Adverb
Started in 1929 in Oakland by Kasper Koojoolian, the brand has now gone from roughly a dozen outposts around the Bay down to zero — though Caspers Hot Dogs, another East Bay chain, is still seemingly doing fine.
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 26 Oct. 2025
That works fine — except when there are 500 other curious people using their phones around you!
—Greg Palkot, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fine
Adjective
-
This is not a dusty collection or hodgepodge of Gold Rush artifacts placed around a xeriscape.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The old shelves with their dusty cans were gone, replaced by three wooden pillars, each with a small platform at chest height.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Featuring a subtle kick flare at the hem and chic pintuck detailing, they’re designed to hit right under the calf, or just at the ankle for petite people like myself.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Adding parsnips and turnips to the recipe gives the dish a subtle earthy flavor that perfectly complements the savory chicken.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The moon is glimmering, the veil between worlds is thin and there’s an air of mischief lingering in the shadows.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Card Case Speaking of only keeping the essentials on hand, this ultra-thin card case is an excellent replacement for a bulky, overstuffed wallet when traveling.—
Melony Forcier,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This lineup of alcohol-free drinks—okay, fine, mocktail recipes—offers a vibrant, inventive way to craft festive zero-proof beverages.—
Li Goldstein,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Putting your hands on someone is never, ever okay.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Such is life in Marthaland, where homemaking tasks are plucked from the realm of everyday drudgery and elevated to a pure pursuit of excellence.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
-
To this end, while the loss of two aircraft in short order seems suspicious, it could be explained through pure chance.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
World’s most advanced quantum clocks Quantum clocks provide very accurate timekeeping.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Nov. 2025
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November 04, 2025 When Wikipedia was founded in 2001, the idea that people around the world could come together to create an accurate online encyclopedia covering virtually any topic seemed far-fetched.—
Harvard Business Review,
Harvard Business Review,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
One group was moved into a new building that lacked adequate lab space, another into a lab that lacked a functional climate control system.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Health inspectors gave the boba tea shop a yellow placard after employees failed to demonstrate adequate knowledge of proper warewashing and sanitizing procedures.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Palantir’s revenue figures are still quite small compared to peers of similar market capitalization.—
Jessica Mathews,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Contractors working on the project recently completed pouring the foundation for what will provide smaller housing units meant to make quarantining detainees with communicable illnesses safer and easier.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fine. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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