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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of finessed
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
The director also finessed Hollywood.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 5 Dec. 2025
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
Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 20 Feb. 2026
The director also finessed Hollywood.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 5 Dec. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finessed
Verb
-
The deal was negotiated by Jessica Russo COO, Productions & Acquisitions at VMI / Vantage Media and Danielle Gasher, CEO of Vaneast Pictures.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
20 May 2026
-
The two universities negotiated a $60 million price tag.—
Jack Springgate,
CBS News,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Some issues could have been avoided by carefully reading MEDVi’s site.—
Nicole Hernandez,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
-
The Tigers avoided disaster, at least temporarily, by stranding three and allowing just one run in the inning.—
Jace Denison,
Kansas City Star,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Steingart says the sites are engineered to slow down the spread of fire and give firefighters more time.—
Mahsa Saeidi,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
-
Around 30 minutes from Yosemite National Park, this two-estate compound at Bass Lake was practically engineered for oversized family weekends.—
Natalie Hoberman,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
My muscles on fire with tension, sleep evaded me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
-
Aircraft purchases were among the promises that China evaded then.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Prosecutors allege Saab and his associates manipulated the program through overpriced contracts and international financial transactions designed to conceal illicit proceeds.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
18 May 2026
-
Musk’s core claim was that the co-founders had manipulated him into donating millions of dollars and eventually turned OpenAI into a for-profit.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Stray bits of hair escaped my ponytail and stung my eyes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
-
The injured duckling was treated at a veterinary clinic while the other ducklings escaped the area with the mother duck.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
The product is a cluster of six lie-flat sleep pods arranged in three tiers — the setup is essentially bunk beds in the sky — between the economy and premium economy cabins on its newest Boeing 787-9 aircraft.—
Chris Dong,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
People sating their desires for food and company no longer need seedy hotels or hastily arranged Facebook events, now that brick-and-mortar spaces like Aikens’s restaurant exist.—
Victoria M. Walker,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Prosecutors alleged that, with the help of her father, Francisco Gonzalez, and her ex-boyfriend, Kai Faron Cordrey, the TikTok star plotted to kill Avery between 2020 and 2021.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
20 May 2026
-
In Albany, Jeffries was part of a group of young Black and Latino lawmakers from New York City who played pickup basketball together and plotted legislative strategy over beers at a Bonefish Grill.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Finessed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finessed. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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