To finesse something is to bring it about, direct it, or manage it by skillful maneuvering.

// We managed to finesse a favorable deal on some Beatles LPs at the flea market through subtle bargaining.

See the entry >

“Many times, the teams that can lead a company to a successful public listing are not the ones best equipped to finesse the delicate relationship with equity research analysts.” — Ilona Limonta-Volkova, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024

The noun finesse originally referred to the “fineness” or delicacy of something’s texture, structure, or workmanship. It later came to be applied to the delicacy of someone’s skill in handling tricky situations before gaining a sense specific to taking tricks in cards. In games such as bridge or whist, finesse refers to a particular stratagem that involves the clever withholding of a winning card. Although the verb finesse is now most often used in situations where a person handles something in a skillful or clever way, its oldest sense emerged at the gaming tables—to finesse in bridge or whist is simply to make a finesse.