as in ability
mental skill or quickness
maneuvered his opponent into checkmate with his customary finesse
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to negotiate
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to evade
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
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of finesse
Elazar Sontag, Bon Appétit, 9 Sep. 2024
Courtesy Renata Flores Renata Flores, dubbed the Queen of Quechua Rap by The New York Times, is only 23 years old but has already made a name for herself in the Peruvian music industry by showcasing her cultural heritage with pride and finesse.
—Sisa Quispe, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Aug. 2024
Mike Murchison, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
That deliciously brutal level of kino the Brothers Sisters are going for was also something that editor Michael Barbato finessed — even within an episode where timing, texture, and visual clarity are so key.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 1 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for finesse 
Noun
At Akahoshi, he’s mastered his craft and found a home for his precision and finesse.
—Elazar Sontag, Bon Appétit, 9 Sep. 2024
Courtesy Renata Flores Renata Flores, dubbed the Queen of Quechua Rap by The New York Times, is only 23 years old but has already made a name for herself in the Peruvian music industry by showcasing her cultural heritage with pride and finesse.
—Sisa Quispe, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Aug. 2024
Verb
Echoing is already a common technique in natural language processing, but AI agents still need to finesse the approach.
—Mike Murchison, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
That deliciously brutal level of kino the Brothers Sisters are going for was also something that editor Michael Barbato finessed — even within an episode where timing, texture, and visual clarity are so key.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 1 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for finesse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finesse
Noun
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This increase is attributed to the full integration of Ranco and its ability to acquire inventory and retain new customers.Quartz Bot, Quartz, 15 Nov. 2024
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Last year, the U.S. government and the European Commission both published reports on the technology, with the White House proposing a potential research program with one of the objectives being to develop the ability to detect use or experimentation by others.Lara Williams, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
Verb
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City, county and school officials had urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach agreement prior to Medicare open enrollment, which runs Oct. 15 to Dec. 7.Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 6 Nov. 2024
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The mistake nearly pushed the company into bankruptcy, until Huang negotiated a contract buyout with Sega that provided Nvidia with a financial lifeline and resources to develop the NV1′s successor.Ashton Jackson, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Hezbollah fighters have been using pagers as a low-tech means of communication in an attempt to evade Israeli location-tracking, two sources familiar with the group’s operations told Reuters this year.Reuters, NBC News, 11 Nov. 2024
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El Monte police said that charges of kidnapping and felony evading would be submitted to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.Colleen Shalby, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Flashback: That road prowess followed the team to Seattle this week, where Houston held the No. 4-seed Sounders scoreless, forcing a penalty shoot-out.Jay R. Jordan, Axios, 1 Nov. 2024
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The potential return of the Tasmanian tiger will be a culmination of efforts from scientists at the University of Melbourne, the technological prowess of Colossal Biosciences and the genetic contributions of a pickled 110-year old thylacine head.Scott Travers, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
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For another, the sheer number of disparate state and local jurisdictions that would need to be manipulated makes any attempt to steal an election much harder.Jenna Bednar, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2024
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Would a small child be able to manipulate controls, turn the machine on, skip tracks, or otherwise program the device without an adult’s help?Cheryl Fenton, Parents, 2 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The MacBook and Mac mini have traditionally avoided the iPhone's rainbow of color options, usually sticking to sedate bare metal and gray or silver finishes.Brian Westover, PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
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Last year, France proposed a ban on social media for those under 15, though users were able to avoid the ban with parental consent.Reuters, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The current crop of Irish talent exemplifies these qualities, O’Reilly says.Nate Jones, Vulture, 18 Nov. 2024
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The Sharks’ prospect pool was also largely devoid of high-end talent, with the organization trading away multiple first-round draft picks throughout the 2010s for short-term solutions to keep the championship window open.Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
Verb
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As Ben Ryder Howe reported in New York magazine’s The Intelligencer, a group of billionaires associated with the Club has been maneuvering to privatize contested swaths of land that yield access to the Crazies for some time.Ryleigh Nucilli, Outside Online, 14 Nov. 2024
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Indonesia’s surprise In this current environment, the central banks of both Indonesia and Thailand are attempting to maneuver themselves in the aftermath of the recent Fed cut.Shafi Musaddique, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near finesse
Cite this Entry
“Finesse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finesse. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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