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
Vogue, 25 May 2026
She was known at the Capitol as a woman who got things done, sometimes with finesse, sometimes not.
—Anita Chabria, Mercury News, 20 May 2026
Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 20 Feb. 2026
This no-wipe gel formula comes with a short, easy-to-finesse spoolie applicator that can make stripes, waves, and ripples.
—Rosa Pyo, Allure, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for finesse
Noun
As temperatures spike and humidity rises, trying to stay cool while maintaining even the smallest modicum of sartorial finesse can be… challenging, to say the least.
—Vogue, 25 May 2026
She was known at the Capitol as a woman who got things done, sometimes with finesse, sometimes not.
—Anita Chabria, Mercury News, 20 May 2026
Verb
Repossi finessed the rose gold used in its latest spiraling Blast high jewelry pieces, playing up its yellow gleam under a gradient of orange gemstones.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 20 Feb. 2026
This no-wipe gel formula comes with a short, easy-to-finesse spoolie applicator that can make stripes, waves, and ripples.
—Rosa Pyo, Allure, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for finesse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finesse
Noun
-
What sometimes isn’t recognized is Romero’s ability to swing a bat.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 May 2026
-
And the ability to afford grad school.—
Erika Ettin,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
The decision to close the location comes after negotiating for months upon the urging of the city of Dallas and local leaders to work out an arrangement for how the store could keep operating.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
2 June 2026
-
But Qatar appears to be more flexible, with a top official saying on Sunday that the country would be willing to negotiate on fees collected for mine clearance or other short-term activities.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Capable of traveling at speeds exceeding Mach 5 while maneuvering in flight, these weapons are designed to compress enemy reaction times and evade many traditional missile defense systems.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
31 May 2026
-
Aurora police said Belt-Stubblefield crashed into two vehicles while trying to evade the stop.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
But when held up against the pantheon of medal-winning talent on the 45-strong entry list, Bucci’s was unlikely to be the name a punter would put forward as the winner.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
-
That aging ensemble bursts with talent — so much so that its writers don’t mind killing off the occasional gramps or gran.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Do not allow someone else to manipulate your feelings.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
-
However, a lusty CPU and GPU can only do so much in local AI processing if the system lacks adequate RAM and local storage to hold and manipulate large models.—
John Burek,
PC Magazine,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
This victory was as undeniable as the bond between the seniors on this team who did everything but draw up a pact to avoid a third-straight disappointment on the season’s final day.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
-
Safe food handling, good hygiene and avoiding contact with cat stool can significantly reduce your risk.—
Dr. Megan Yanny,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
The paint is deftly mottled but its handling lacks the prowess of her later work (see, for example, Being Beamed, 1984, a fantasia of extraterrestrial teleportation in which the watercolor is sumptuous but perfectly controlled).—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
For America, saving the structures that defined the country’s prowess in innovation, experimentation, and ingenuity means looking to a relatively recent past.—
Time,
Time,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Capable of traveling at speeds exceeding Mach 5 while maneuvering in flight, these weapons are designed to compress enemy reaction times and evade many traditional missile defense systems.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
31 May 2026
-
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and the UAE are all maneuvering for influence, with Abu Dhabi the latest entrant.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Finesse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finesse. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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