FINESSE Synonyms: 165 Similar and Opposite Words

finesse 1 of 2

noun

fə-ˈnes

Definition of finesse

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

finesse

2 of 2

verb

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

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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of finesse

Noun

Yet, this will take a great deal of finesse, including pushing through a bill in parliament by buttering up Lord Hawthorne (Hugh Bonneville), who is willing to trade his vote for a night out with Susie’s brother, Jack (Harry Goodwins). — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026 There’s a lot to sift through, and knowing which pieces are actually worth your cart takes some finesse. — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 3 Sep. 2026

Verb

A number of conversations are nearly verbatim to what the transcripts show, though Gunn admits to finessing certain moments for cinematic purposes. — Barry Levitt, Time, 14 Aug. 2026 The two scenes that were finessed the most, where McKenna’s interpretation of Nicky was most crucial, were his first meeting with Ralph (Winston Sawyers) and his Episode 1 confrontation with Jack (Lox Pratt). — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 31 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for finesse

Recent Examples of Synonyms for finesse

Noun

The ability for anyone to generate strategy, code, or creative work in seconds effectively filled in the moats built on blitzscaling overnight.

— Matt Alt, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
This gives voters the ability to reelect or change the majority of the City Commission every two years.

— Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of ability

Verb

Pascal Lamy negotiated China’s accession to the WTO in 2001 on behalf of the EU.

— semafor.com, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Ian Gray, vice president of intelligence at the threat monitoring company Flashpoint, told NBC Miami this was a likely indication that Florida officials were negotiating with ShinyHunters to prevent a leak of the database.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of negotiate

Verb

The new Marvel series will see the hero grapple with his identity and humanity while evading a bounty hunter and reuniting with his son.

— Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Last year, a Houthi missile evaded Israel’s vaunted air defenses and impacted near Ben Gurion airport.

— Tim Lister, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of evade

Noun

But the talent for going viral that helped Ramaswamy gain a national profile has proved less successful this election cycle in Ohio.

— Philip Elliott, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
The right person would ably balance greenlight authority with maintaining Netflix’s biggest talent relationships.

— Josef Adalian, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of talent

Verb

Its tech helped investigators find that former Toronto Raptors big man Jontay Porter manipulated his play on behalf of bettors.

— Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Instead of filming hands of actual workers, young men with GoPro cameras strapped to their heads record themselves doing jobs while holding and manipulating what look like grippy robot claws.

— Diaa Hadid, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of manipulate

Verb

Recently, A'ja Wilson charged aggressively toward a fan in the stands and avoided a suspension.

— Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
The group chose roads that would keep them moving, avoiding excessive stop-start riding at traffic lights and intersections wherever possible.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of avoid

Noun

But the tireless churn of his storytelling, picking up and depositing little clues of what came before, is the mark of an auteur who has barely scratched the surface of his prowess.

— Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
The category allows De Beers London to demonstrate its technical prowess while cultivating relationships with its most discerning clients.

— Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of prowess

Verb

During the test, the aircraft validated not only the takeoff system, but the ability to maneuver at various altitudes and make in-flight mission adjustments while the systems checked for airworthiness.

— David Szondy October 15, New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2026
Unlike a conventional ballistic missile’s warhead, a hypersonic glide vehicle is built to maneuver during flight, potentially complicating an opponent’s efforts to track and intercept it.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of maneuver

Browse Nearby Words

finespun

finesse

finessed

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Style

“Finesse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finesse. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of finesse

noun

verb

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