1
as in to negotiate
to plan out usually with subtle skill or care
let me look at my schedule and see if I can't finagle a visit to the museum
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2
as in to cheat
to use dishonest methods to achieve a goal
she'll finagle until she gets exactly what she wants
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Recent Examples of finagle
The suction is strong enough to suck up anything that might finagle its way into your car, including dirt, sand, dust, pet hair, and crumbs.
—
Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 12 Apr. 2026
For years, job hoppers could finagle higher pay in new roles.
—Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
This period comedy set in England in the 1930s stars Ben Radcliffe as a thief who swindles his way into a hall boy position at posh Fackham Hall, only to hook up with the daughter of the house and finagle his way into a position of privilege.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 6 Mar. 2026
Riders who might like more oomph aboard Galacticoaster should finagle seats on the back row, which experiences a touch more whip action.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for finagle
Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 12 Apr. 2026
For years, job hoppers could finagle higher pay in new roles.
—Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
This period comedy set in England in the 1930s stars Ben Radcliffe as a thief who swindles his way into a hall boy position at posh Fackham Hall, only to hook up with the daughter of the house and finagle his way into a position of privilege.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 6 Mar. 2026
Riders who might like more oomph aboard Galacticoaster should finagle seats on the back row, which experiences a touch more whip action.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for finagle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finagle
Verb
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But Iran denied making any new commitments on monitoring, with state media reporting that Tehran did not negotiate the nuclear issue during 18 hours of discussions.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
23 June 2026
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The Heat and other NBA teams have been allowed to negotiate with their own impending free agents since June 14 — the day after the last game of the NBA Finals.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
23 June 2026
Verb
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The fans were cheated Sunday out of a chance to see an interesting pitching matchup between Shota Imanaga and Dylan Cease, the former Cubs farmhand and former White Sox pitcher.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 2026
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For example, a spouse who catches their partner cheating and kills someone in the heat of emotion.—
Lorena O’Neil,
Rolling Stone,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Angelina Guatemala, 64, counted on federal food stamps after retiring a couple of years ago in Ogden, Kansas, from assorted jobs arranging flowers, decorating cakes in shops, and preparing meals.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
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How to Make Homemade Croutons In the Oven Preheat the oven to 450°F and arrange the rack in the middle position.—
Anne Wolf,
Martha Stewart,
18 June 2026
Verb
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This enables robots to identify objects, track movement, plan motions, and manipulate components with a high degree of precision.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
19 June 2026
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Wang then placed his hands underneath her clothing and began touching her breasts before manipulating her arm to touch his genitals, the suit states.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Finagle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finagle. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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