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
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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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of finesse
Morten Stig Jensen, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Looks range from business-casual to elevated contemporary elegance and serve as a showcase for Queen Latifah’s unique finesse.
—Julia Teti, WWD, 24 Oct. 2024
Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2024
The Cynic won and led another club, but when West couldn’t ruff, South won the rest, drawing trumps and finessing in diamonds.
—Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 18 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for finesse 
Noun
Wagner, who is more finesse than power, approaches the game similarly.
—Morten Stig Jensen, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Looks range from business-casual to elevated contemporary elegance and serve as a showcase for Queen Latifah’s unique finesse.
—Julia Teti, WWD, 24 Oct. 2024
Verb
Scenes like the couple’s first kiss play out with real attention to build-up and follow-through and there’s a confidence in how Noah finesses the moment.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2024
The Cynic won and led another club, but when West couldn’t ruff, South won the rest, drawing trumps and finessing in diamonds.
—Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 18 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for finesse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finesse
Noun
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Polis previously supported parents’ ability to opt out of vaccinations — drawing support from anti-vaccine advocates — despite the state’s poor rankings for pediatric immunization.Seth Klamann, The Denver Post, 15 Nov. 2024
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Because privacy laws shield the names of firearm purchasers from public view, the data NSSF obtained gave it a unique ability to identify and contact large numbers of gun owners or shooting sports enthusiasts.Corey G. Johnson, ProPublica, 15 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Additionally, 415 hospitals didn't include all payer and plan names in their files, and 231 hospitals didn't post accurate minimum and maximum negotiated charges for items and services.Maya Goldman, Axios, 20 Nov. 2024
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In the coming world, machine intelligences navigating conflict and negotiating peace might help clarify, or even surmount, traditional dilemmas.Henry A. Kissinger, Foreign Affairs, 18 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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Eminent mathematicians like Bill Thurston and Alexander Grothendieck didn’t owe their mathematical prowess to intrinsic genius, Bessis argues.Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 18 Nov. 2024
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What Klay Thompson’s return to the Bay really meant to him, the Warriors With all of the signature early wins, Steph Curry clutch moments, impressive depth and revamped defense, Golden State’s rebounding prowess has flown under the radar.Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
Verb
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However, the rise of adversarial AI has heightened the risk of data poisoning, where malicious threat actors manipulate data to mislead LLMs, potentially leading to flawed business decisions.Shane Buckley, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
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Directed by Curtis Hanson, the original watches as Peyton infiltrates the lives of the Bartel family after experiencing personal and professional ruin, slowly gaining their trust while manipulating them from within.Matt Grobar, Deadline, 18 Nov. 2024
Verb
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These things make Istanbul a great place to get high-quality hair transplants at low prices, but patients need to be careful to avoid secret risks.Ethan Stone, Journal Sentinel, 20 Nov. 2024
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But the only surefire way to avoid sickness from airplane food is not to eat it.Justin Klawans, theweek, 19 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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Of course, the vice president is aware, and not amused, that Kate’s estranged husband, the adorably Machiavellian Hal (Rufus Sewell), is maneuvering to have Kate made veep.Tom Gliatto, People.com, 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 30 Nov. 2024.
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