had been finessing

• past perfect progressive

  past perfect progressive

  Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.

  of finesse.
  finesse

  noun

  extreme delicacy or subtlety in action, performance, skill, discrimination, taste, etc.

Related Words

• acumen
• competence
• guile
• quickness
• savvy
• skill
• sophistication
• subtlety
• tact