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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of finessing
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finessing
Verb
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It would soon be revealed that Michael was simultaneously busy negotiating an alternative deal with Anthropic’s chief rival, OpenAI.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
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Herrick is credited with building up the Academy's library into one of the world's primary film research centers, as well as negotiating the award show's first television contract — and a major step toward financial independence — in 1953.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And is there something to gain—politically, economically, or diplomatically—by avoiding conflict?—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
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While many bulk carriers have strong links with China in terms of ownership, operation and cargo, the actual effectiveness of declaring themselves as China-linked in avoiding attacks is unclear, said Rico Luman, a senior economist at the Dutch bank ING who focuses on transport and logistics.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For example gerrymandering, or the practice of manipulating electoral district boundaries to favor one political party, is an ongoing, albeit controversial tactic among both Democrats and Republicans.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
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The skills could include tasks such as folding boxes, assembling components, or even manipulating objects, activities that still remain challenging for many robotic systems.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Biden said partnerships were evading $100 billion in taxes.—
Julie Z. Weil,
Washington Post,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Armond Langford, 32, is facing multiple charges including robbery, kidnapping, assault, wanton endangerment, fleeing/evading police, burglary and persistent felony offender.—
Caroline Neal,
Louisville Courier Journal,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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From his first run with the Academy Awards arranging team in 2008, Walden was hooked; the job seamlessly blended his favorite parts about film scoring and classical composing.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
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The Paley Center for Media is arranging the pieces for its Paley Honors Spring Gala program.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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MacTaggart is part of a throng of young people who are turning to analog hobbies and activities as a means of escaping technology and reconnecting with childlike creativity and exploration.—
Kaitlyn Huamani,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
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Though mostly ground-dwelling and preferring to run, pheasants can perch to avoid predators and reach speeds up to 45 miles per hour when escaping danger.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Iran may soon run out of drones, yet has other asymmetrical options – such as choking the Strait of Hormuz or plotting terror on foreign soil – that can irritate the US and disrupt peace.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
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Declan Rice and Gabriel are deep in conversation, plotting what could have been their team’s 22nd set-piece goal of the season — a familiar scene and something that antagonises the Brighton supporters.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But, ultimately, Sullivan decided to pursue a career in engineering late in high school.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
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EnzymeThreads is engineering high-performance enzymes designed to break down PET into its original monomers.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Finessing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finessing. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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