finesse

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 9, 2022 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>finesse</strong> &#149; \fuh-NESS\&nbsp; &#149; <em>verb</em><br /> <p><em>Finesse</em> means "to handle, deal with, or do (something) in an indirect and skillful or clever way."</p> <p>// The forward <em>finessed</em> the ball past two defenders and powered it to the left of the goalie for a score. </p> <p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/finesse#h2">See the entry ></a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>"One of the most refreshing parts of the doc is the revelation that even the Beatles at their creative peak started off with some clunkers and <em>finessed</em> them into brilliant, lasting <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earworm">earworms</a> we know and love today. The scrappy first take off 'I Got a Feeling' has nothing on the rollicking, perfect last take." — Brittany Wong, <em>HuffPost</em>, 2 Dec. 2021</p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p><em><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/finesse">Finesse</a></em> originally referred to refinement or delicacy of workmanship, structure, or texture; that sense is based on French <em>fin</em>, meaning "fine." In time, the noun was applied to the "delicate" handling of a situation. The related verb <em>finesse</em> had its start at gaming tables: if you finesse in a game like bridge or whist, you withhold your highest card or trump in the hope that a lower card will take the trick because the only opposing higher card is in the hand of an opponent who has already played. Similar uses of the verb implying skill and cleverness followed.</p> <br /><br /> </p> </font>