1
as in negotiates
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 avoids
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finesses
Verb
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Their goal — to demand better wages and improved working conditions as American Airlines negotiates a new contract at the airport.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Mar. 2026 -
Once a shortlist is established, The PEO Link negotiates terms, presents structured comparisons, and supports implementation.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA Today,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Addressing Messi — who famously avoids speaking out on politics — the president stuck mostly to sports.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
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The service The service at Asher Adams avoids the stiff feel of some other high-end hotels, opting instead for a genuinely personal hospitality style.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Tender’s assets Tender CEO Whitney Halberstram (Max Minghella) engineers the downfall of co-founder Jonah Atterbury (Kal Penn) and eventually leaves Henry holding the bag for the company’s fraud.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
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The official alleged that the paper engineers a finding by excluding evidence and designing a study with a bias toward showing no association.—
Aria Bendix,
NBC news,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But how does one set out to write a biography about the creation of an author who not only can’t be reached, but actively evades the spotlight?—
Costa Beavin Pappas,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2026
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The result is contrasting, suited for a composition that evades singular meaning.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Just like Rodgers did a decade earlier, Prescott manipulates the flat defender (circled in red) and hits CeeDee Lamb in stride just behind the linebacker.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
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Throughout the process, the robot simultaneously navigates, avoids obstacles, and manipulates objects without human guidance.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Jori Heard escapes an at-bat against Reese Atwood but can't get away from Katie Stewart.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Mar. 2026
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With unspoiled beaches, gentle Gulf waters, and sunset skies, Sanibel channels one of Florida’s most restorative weekend escapes.—
Carrie Honaker,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Uber already arranges Waymo rides on its app in Austin, Atlanta and Phoenix.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
11 Mar. 2026
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Alternatively, fly into Johannesburg and connect to Polokwane, where the lodge arranges a 90-minute road transfer.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In 1893, Scottish-Canadian author, Robert Barr, wrote a short story about an unhappy married couple that was vacationing in the Swiss Alps when the husband plots to push his wife off of a cliff.—
Mary Beth Skylis,
Outside,
26 Feb. 2026
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Various accusations were leveled against the owners of both groups during the course of the hearing, with two operators of Cesar Rainey Street being implicated in drug trafficking and arson plots separately.—
Paul Flahive,
Austin American Statesman,
18 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Finesses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finesses. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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