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
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Recent Examples of finessed
Back in Miami, Winter finessed his preparation with former Duncan Ensemble dancer Ivette Sotomayor.
—
Guillermo Perez, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
Cruz finessed his way into not allowing a Red Sox runner to cross the plate, keeping the score tied.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2025
Man Ray is one of the few Dada-Surrealist cusp figures who finessed affiliations with both movements without alienating either one.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2025
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
Guillermo Perez, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
Cruz finessed his way into not allowing a Red Sox runner to cross the plate, keeping the score tied.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2025
Man Ray is one of the few Dada-Surrealist cusp figures who finessed affiliations with both movements without alienating either one.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finessed
Verb
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Samuel Zimmerman negotiated the acquisition for Independent Film Company and Shudder, while Blue Finch Films represented the filmmakers.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
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The deal was negotiated by CEO Andre Relis and COO Jessica Russo of VMI and Chee Keong Cheung on behalf of Action Xtreme.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Previous Japanese leaders have avoided discussing Taiwan in the context of a military response.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
12 Nov. 2025
-
Margolick argues that Caesar avoided topical satire out of fear.—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Mountain Dew Baja Blast was engineered specifically for Taco Bell, launching in 2004 in partnership with PepsiCo, the parent company of Mountain Dew, according to reports.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
-
It was edited by Jess Jiang, fact-checked by Sierra Juarez, and engineered by Robert Rodriguez, with help from Patrick Murray.—
NPR,
NPR,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Bears quarterback Caleb Williams hit tight end Colston Loveland with a pass and the tight end barely evaded two Bengals defenders, who hit each other instead of Loveland.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
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The Bills shut down Patrick Mahomes and evaded the Chiefs for the fifth straight time in the regular season to improve to a secure 6-2 mark.—
Torrey Hart,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Even among some voters who were sincerely uncomfortable with Mamdani’s past rhetoric, many rationalized that an authentic Democrat with a pulse was still better than someone who might be manipulated from afar.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
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Experts said those markets are at risk of being manipulated by foreign influence.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Other businesses, including a nearby convention center, restaurant and Ford assembly plant, escaped the blaze.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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The mailman paused, checking to see if anyone had noticed or knew the puppy had escaped.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Dickey also has to try to balance getting at least six home games per year while honoring the home-and-home series that have been arranged.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Nov. 2025
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The Department of Children's Services has arranged for the children to stay with a relative.—
Andy Humbles,
Nashville Tennessean,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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At the same time, Austrian Nazis plotted a coup, plans for which were uncovered in a raid on their headquarters on January 25.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Satoru Gojo, the strongest jujutsu sorcerer, arrived to address the chaos, but curse users and spirits plotted to seal him away.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Finessed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finessed. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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