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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Disregard global cooperation Warsh said that former Fed Chair Janet Yellen and Powell spent too much time negotiating with global regulators.—
Jacqueline Munis,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
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The most difficult part will be negotiating concessions that both sides can swallow in such a short period.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The suspect was identified as 40-year-old Fabian Leon, who was later charged with simple battery and avoiding security measures, the outlet said.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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Lessons from 1,000 Deals — Price Pritchett A practitioner’s guide to avoiding integration missteps, based on patterns observed across hundreds of real-world transactions.—
Jennifer J. Fondrevay,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Using Henry's good nature … by lying to him, by manipulating him.—
Natalie Morales,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Uhlaender accused the Canadian team and its coach, Joe Cecchini, of intentionally withdrawing the athletes, deliberately manipulating the field to benefit one of their own sliders’ bids for qualification.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Shares of the Turkish state lender Halk Bankasi AS tumbled on Wednesday following the adjournment of a court status conference in the US related to charges of evading sanctions on Iran.—
Beril Akman,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
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In July 2025, Mouton was reportedly arrested and charged with felon in possession of a weapon, evading arrest and drug possession.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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At 99, Mel Brooks does not speak like a man arranging his legacy.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Jan. 2026
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Decorating Your Flight While these compound butter ideas are mouthwatering on their own, arranging the tray is all part of the fun of a butter flight.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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There will be little escaping the cold over the next week, while outside, temperatures most mornings dip to 0° or below.—
Ron Smiley,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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The hot-button epic, which premiered in Toronto, follows a young man named Yusuf who gets caught up in political upheaval as tensions rise in Jerusalem and his village amid British crackdowns prompted by the arrival of Jewish immigrants escaping antisemitism in Europe.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But the city is plotting a decisive — if a little uneven — course toward a carbon-free future.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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Lowe's merchandising and marketing teams have started plotting out a 12-month plan of items that the company bets could become trending products, with about three to five items debuting each quarter, Wilson said.—
Melissa Repko,
CNBC,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The company is engineering the next generation of high-power microwave systems from GHz to THz frequencies.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Jan. 2026
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But below deck, in machinery spaces and fuel tanks, Norway is quietly engineering its post-oil future.—
Ryan Craggs,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Finessing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finessing. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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