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Definitions

finesse

[fi-ness] / fɪˈnɛss /




Example Sentences

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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

But what he might lack in rhetorical finesse, he more than has in job experience, as least as defined by Trump.

From Salon Apr. 9, 2026

But this is a delicate business, and the administration tempts chaos unless it learns to exercise its power with a lot more finesse.

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 20, 2026

In their briefings, government lawyers finesse a sanitized version into a clean narrative of law-abiding responsibility.

From Slate Feb. 18, 2026

People tried to defy orders and merge themselves into the functional lines, but without any of the finesse that I would have brought to the endeavor.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

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

From Washington Post Dec. 8, 2021

Black bass are good on spinners, crankbaits, and green pumpkin finesses plastic worms in 12-18’ fishing deeper docks, main lake points with near timber, drop-offs, and points.

From Washington Times Nov. 4, 2020

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

From Los Angeles Times Oct. 3, 2019

These stories drift, but Johnson finesses his way through them, his prose vernacular and elevated at the same time.

From New York Times Jan. 15, 2018

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

They spend their summers on this 140m stretch, finessing their starts and building their bodies in the gym for the winters ahead.

From BBC Feb. 14, 2026

They’ve tested concepts on stage that haven’t worked; sometimes comedians themselves have realized their act needs more finessing.

From Los Angeles Times Dec. 15, 2025

With enough time and imagination, kickers and equipment managers are capable of finessing footballs in ways that make them soar.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 6, 2025

The outreach requires finessing complex legal and diplomatic disputes that have long poisoned ties, but, as the court cases demonstrated, history hangs heavy over the relationship.

From Washington Times Dec. 22, 2023

But he had, himself, no money now; could only try finessing by ambassadors, try a little menacing by them; neither of which profited.

From History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 04 by Carlyle, Thomas




Vocabulary lists containing finesse


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