FINESSING Synonyms: 101 Similar and Opposite Words

finessing

verb

present participle of finesse

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 finessing 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 This being Nantucket, the team contended with stringent zoning regulations governing building footprints, rooflines, and window heights; finessing the layout felt like expert-level Tetris. — David Foxley, Architectural Digest, 8 Apr. 2026 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 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

Furthermore, relationships themselves teach basic psychological capacities such as regulating emotions, tolerating disappointment, and negotiating differences—skills which therapy is supposed to cultivate.

— David H. Rosmarin, Time, 29 Aug. 2026
Iran and Oman are negotiating a deal to temporarily open the strait.

— Greg Myre, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of negotiating

Verb

Suggest a timeline, assign a task, or ask the question everyone keeps politely avoiding.

— Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 1 Sep. 2026
Officials annually emphasize boating safety, wearing life jackets and being aware of conditions, especially rip currents, and avoiding drinking alcoholic beverages when venturing out on the water.

— Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of avoiding

Verb

Last Wednesday, Meta reached a settlement with the attorneys general of forty-seven states, who had sued it for illegally manipulating the attention of children.

— Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
The experiment, therefore, suggests that empty space itself could become a new tool for manipulating quantum matter, much like other efforts to push the limits of superconducting materials.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of manipulating

Verb

Prosecutors allege Reyes-Vargas has six prior convictions for bad or dangerous driving, including a DUI conviction, evading police, and engaging in a speed contest.

— Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026
The father-daughter duo has set up shop ensconced in the woods, herding donkeys and so far evading the violence closing in on them from the outside.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of evading

Verb

Paltrow is also friendly with OpenAI’s vice president of global creative partnerships, Charles Porch, who the Times reports was central to arranging the dinner in his boss’ honor.

— Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2026
Are practical barriers, such as transportation or arranging for care outside the facility, influencing the decision not to consider screening more than her own values or medical condition?

— Kim Johnson, STAT, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of arranging

Verb

The film, which will include stop-motion animation and live-action sequences, is an adaptation of Shane Jones’ cult novel exploring the tension between escaping war through imagination and confronting its reality.

— Alexandra Patterson, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
The tiny, colorful birds will spend winter in Mexico and Central America, escaping the cold and snow in Michigan, before returning in spring 2027.

— Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of escaping

Verb

Proper later allegedly admitted to plotting the UFC 250 attack and described it in full to the FBI, according to the criminal complaint.

— Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026
For now, Fearn seems less focused on plotting out a career and more interested in chasing whatever catches his attention next.

— Wengel Gemu, Vanity Fair, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of plotting

Verb

Orange County has been rehabbing critical pump stations that are needed if floodwaters threaten neighborhoods, said Hugo Pineda, engineering deputy director for operations and maintenance at the public works agency.

— Robert Gauthier, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
After A’Sha frees Scotty from the lift, the two attempt to get Scotty to engineering via the transporter.

— Keith Phipps, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of engineering

Browse Nearby Words

finesses

finessing

finest

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“Finessing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finessing. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of finessing

verb

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