finessing

Amid and despite the off-field trauma, Stokes was building an anthology of epic performances, finessing an ability to make Test cricket bend to his will.

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.

The very next day, despite an injured shoulder that threatened to spoil the party, Whitbread won gold for her first major title, finessing her victory with the second-longest throw in history.

There is no leveraging, cajoling, or finessing the calculations of thrust, the pressure inside the cryogenic tanks, or the behavior of a 165-foot-long spaceship attempting a rocket-powered landing.

Preparation has involved not only lots of practice and finessing but also clothes shopping and, for some, learning to walk across a stage in heels.