finesse

“Where even, contradicting ideas held together at the same time is often just interesting, at the very least, and then you can sort of finesse interesting into funny, at a certain point.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

Given the spatial finesse of the lobby below, it is sad to find the utilitarian treatment of a box store or trade show above the museum’s most important objects.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

Against Cape Verde, Spain lacked finesse in their passing.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

A hodgepodge of live cuts, outtakes, British LP tracks and singles, this album shows the Stones rapidly gaining confidence and playing with equal parts finesse and fire.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

In one way, fishing these creeks required finesse; in another way there was nothing even remotely connected to the fine art of trout fishing about this angling process.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols

After some no doubt supersubtle finesses and pivots on both sides, Black seems to have achieved his goal on 30.

From Washington Times ● Mar. 14, 2023

Soft and supple, it finesses the line between elegance and heft.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 8, 2021

Grant attempts two tricky maneuvers with “Harpoon” and, for the most part, finesses them both.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2019

He suggested that the public had seized too narrowly on the times he deploys, say, the King Cobra Driver, rather than the moments he finesses a Titleist putter.

From New York Times ● Sep. 5, 2014

Hoagland would say that now was the time for playing certain finesses, that in the wake of the activity arose those moments that could be manipulated.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee

Berkshire does own about $60 billion of Apple stock, but that issue likely could be finessed to get Cook.

From Barron's ● Apr. 24, 2026

It’s a mammalian innovation, honed and finessed in the latter stages of the Mesozoic era, the so-called Age of Reptiles.

From Slate ● Sep. 7, 2024

In bright, airy studios in London and Malibu, they finessed what would become Lipa’s most ambitious — and euphoric-sounding — record to date.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 30, 2024

Every scene was finessed in post with Gerwig, co-writer Noah Baumbach and, sometimes, producer Robbie by his side.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2023

UC Berkeley’s medical school would not get over its disdain for John’s studies for years, until the situation was finessed by the creation of a separate laboratory for radiation science in 1942.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Economist Odhiambo Ramogi argues that the move to restrict foreign nationals from businesses is too broad - and could do with finessing.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

And there are some feelings about this show’s return that no amount of script finessing can alter.

From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2026

He won the bid on the basis of completing the project in three days but then spent three months finessing the terms of the contract before subcontracting the job.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026

So it’s a pleasure to report that actor-turned-filmmaker Matthew Shear, with his debut feature “Fantasy Life,” shows a facility for finessing a meal that lands the last bite.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2026

"I am not finessing, and I am not in the least afraid of telling you; but I don't see the slightest reason why I should not have written."

From The Idiot by Eva M. Martin