1
as in negotiated
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 avoided
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of finessed
Back in Miami, Winter finessed his preparation with former Duncan Ensemble dancer Ivette Sotomayor.
—
Guillermo Perez, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
Cruz finessed his way into not allowing a Red Sox runner to cross the plate, keeping the score tied.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2025
Man Ray is one of the few Dada-Surrealist cusp figures who finessed affiliations with both movements without alienating either one.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2025
In the other, a talented pitcher in a true breakout year overpowered some hitters and, against others, finessed his way out of pressure spots with men on base.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
The state finessed that by assuming his car was repaired after the robbery.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025
Language was finessed in other ways, too.
—Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2025
Guillermo Perez, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
Cruz finessed his way into not allowing a Red Sox runner to cross the plate, keeping the score tied.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2025
Man Ray is one of the few Dada-Surrealist cusp figures who finessed affiliations with both movements without alienating either one.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2025
In the other, a talented pitcher in a true breakout year overpowered some hitters and, against others, finessed his way out of pressure spots with men on base.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
The state finessed that by assuming his car was repaired after the robbery.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025
Language was finessed in other ways, too.
—Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finessed
Verb
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As a result of the new agreement, Little Rock officers and sergeants will get another 5% pay increase in 2027 on top of the 5% increases previously negotiated for 2025 and 2026.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Oct. 2025
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The deal for worldwide sales rights was negotiated by Nat McCormick of Stoic and Alexandros Potter, Principal of Simeon Faith.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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By contrast, Lai has avoided implying that there exists one China that includes Taiwan.—
STEPHEN WERTHEIM,
Foreign Affairs,
28 Oct. 2025
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Except for a few urgent medical issues, such as an infected cut, Reed avoided health care providers.—
Charlotte Huff,
NPR,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Scientists at Rice University have engineered living cells to light up like tiny beacons, revealing protein changes in real time.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Those who need more range and strength for mixed terrain benefit from the Ausom L2 Max Dual Motor E-scooter, engineered with dual 1000W motors and advanced front and rear rocker-arm suspension.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Although there is wiggle-room for the inflationary temperature/energy scale to be a bit lower than the limit set by cosmic rays, the CMB limits on the maximum post-inflationary temperature cannot be evaded.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Ukraine’s armed forces said Storm Shadow missiles had evaded Russia’s air defenses and struck the site in Bryansk which produces gunpowder, explosives and rocket components.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Politico spoke to Ingrassia’s lawyer, who said the text messages might have been manipulated or were missing context.—
Fortune Editors,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
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In many cases, the photos are so heavily filtered and manipulated, that there is no way to look like this in real life.—
Wendy Wisner,
Parents,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And still, given that Spurs’ creative issues persist and Monaco peppered Vicario’s goal with 23 shots, seemingly slicing through a defence which had previously looked so secure with ease, Tottenham escaped with another away point.—
Elias Burke,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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In the finale of the fourth season of The Boys, Starlight escaped an attempt to round up all supes who went against Homelander’s vision to rule the world.—
Demetrius Patterson,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Deiseroth continued to yell and bang his head in the back of the car while Lane, Dorestant and Scibilia arranged for Deiseroth’s estranged wife to come down from Miami-Dade County to pick up the couple’s children, according to the footage and his arrest report.—
David Goodhue
October 24,
Miami Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
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The garments by the two designers are arranged side by side or facing each other, allowing visitors to appreciate the contrast between Balenciaga’s formal elegance and Alaïa’s sensual style.—
Andrea Onate,
Footwear News,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Denver has plotted Greenlaw’s recovery for the long haul, and Strnad’s contributions have given the franchise the breathing room to do so.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
14 Oct. 2025
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While Witherspoon dug into the world of trauma surgery, Coben plotted the novel’s key moments.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Finessed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finessed. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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