Synonyms of finessing

finessing

verb

present participle of finesse

1

as in negotiating

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

• negotiating
• manipulating
• arranging
• plotting
• engineering
• maneuvering
• managing
• framing
• contriving
• finagling
• wangling
• masterminding
• machinating
• concluding
• scheming
• concocting
• handling
• conducting
• intriguing
• directing
• working out
• conniving
• hammering out
• concerting
• hatching
• brewing
• angling (for)
• commanding
• cooking (up)
• compassing
• gerrymandering
• running
• quarterbacking
• captaining

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fumbling
• blowing
• butchering
• mangling
• botching
• bungling
• mishandling
• messing (up)
• gumming (up)
• flubbing
• bobbling
• muffing
• lousing up

2

as in avoiding

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

• avoiding
• evading
• escaping
• eluding
• eschewing
• dodging
• preventing
• shaking
• shunning
• deflecting
• eliminating
• ducking
• shuffling (out of)
• scaping
• shirking
• circumventing
• obviating
• excluding
• parrying
• keeping clear of
• missing
• precluding
• thwarting
• getting around
• weaseling (out of)
• diverting
• steering clear of
• fighting shy of
• staying clear of
• averting
• excepting
• bypassing
• outwitting
• warding (off)
• foiling
• debarring
• banning
• ruling out
• frustrating
• overreaching
• barring
• outsmarting
• skirting
• outfoxing
• foxing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• seeking
• pursuing
• accepting
• embracing
• courting
• catching
• contracting
• welcoming
• incurring

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of finessing

This being Nantucket, the team contended with stringent zoning regulations governing building footprints, rooflines, and window heights; finessing the layout felt like expert-level Tetris. —David Foxley, Architectural Digest, 8 Apr. 2026

Trump has a rare and underestimated talent for finessing these internal fissures. —Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 12 Jan. 2026

This picks up any holding with both an honor and the nine onside, which outweighs the alternative play of finessing the 10. —Deb Harvell, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2025

The race to dominate the humanoid robotics market is as much about harvesting 3D data as finessing the nuts and bolts. —Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 Oct. 2025

But no amount of finessing the Beetle—the automotive equivalent of a Birkenstock sandal—would turn VW’s ugly duckling into a swan. —Robert Ross, Robb Report, 26 Sep. 2025

In traditional builds, this allows your PCI Express cards to be inserted straight down into the slot, rather than tilting the card and finessing its bracket through a rear-panel hole. —PC Magazine, 14 Sep. 2025

But respect to Doja for finessing the fine points. —Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025