1
as in negotiated
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in avoided
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 finessed
In the other, a talented pitcher in a true breakout year overpowered some hitters and, against others, finessed his way out of pressure spots with men on base.
—
Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
The state finessed that by assuming his car was repaired after the robbery.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025
Language was finessed in other ways, too.
—Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2025
Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
The state finessed that by assuming his car was repaired after the robbery.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025
Language was finessed in other ways, too.
—Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finessed
Verb
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The deal was negotiated between Signature Entertainment’s Acquisitions Executive Max Hart and Kinology’s CEO Grégoire Melin.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
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Participation alone seems to be the end goal, the assemblage of a cacophony of voices without any avenues to interrogate the way power is shared or negotiated in collective spaces.—
Kate Wagner,
Curbed,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Mamdani has taken a more aggressive approach than many traditional Democrats—who have historically championed incremental reform and avoided expansive tax policies targeting high-earners.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
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House Speaker Mike Johnson has expressed support for a ban but has avoided weighing in on specific bills.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This on-the-edge-of-death thriller appears to deliver on every front—from the ever-alluring Fan Bingbing who lends a cool authority Neeson’s stoic presence, to the set pieces engineered to make your palms sweat, to the thread of grief and trauma that gives the action some ballast.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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Working closely with Perfect Game’s Tournament Operations team, BatWraps engineered its wraps to meet all bat-use requirements.—
Sportico Staff,
Sportico.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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On first-and-15 in the same quarter, Milroe evaded pressure, kept his eyes downfield and threw an accurate ball on the move to White near the sideline for 25 yards.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
25 Aug. 2025
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The versatile slugger has been a perfect fit for the Yankees, but other teams could try to pry the former NL MVP away from New York with the long-term deal that has evaded him to this point.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In the area there are multiple objects that can be manipulated to cause a distraction — a feature that will be very familiar to fans of the IO Interactive’s Hitman series.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
3 Sep. 2025
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But all of it had been manipulated.—
Felipe Schrieberg,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Two 12-year-old girls escaped the fire.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
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Families escaped to calm waters for canoeing, hiking, and long afternoons spent idling on the shore.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Polymarket website on a smartphone arranged in Germantown, New York, US, on Tuesday, July 22, 2025.—
Sean Conlon,
CNBC,
3 Sep. 2025
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The split will reverse a massive but largely unsuccessful 2015 merger arranged by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway and the investment firm 3G Capital, Heinz and Kraft’s owners at the time.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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For one, Leonard signed a max contract—unlike with Smith and the Timberwolves, there’s no claim Leonard and the Clippers plotted a scheme where he’d be paid less in the short term in exchange for being paid more later.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
5 Sep. 2025
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This was a far cry from a year ago, when Muchová and Osaka played each other in the second round and Muchová plotted Osaka’s movements around the court for her, opening up space, then using her touch to drop the ball into it.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Finessed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finessed. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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