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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of finagle
That's a reasonable take, but getting to the point of expanding the postseason once again is going to take some finagling at this time.
—
Trey Wallace Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for finagle
Trey Wallace Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
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
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.
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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.
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.
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For example, a spouse who catches their partner cheating and kills someone in the heat of emotion.
Verb
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Agents also intercepted calls between the two discussing drug and firearm trafficking, during which Rodriguez arranged for deliveries to be made to his home.
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Accordingly, the house is raised 14 feet above the ground, with rooms arranged primarily on one level.
Verb
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Pro-Russian groups are bombarding popular AI systems with propaganda to coax chatbots into regurgitating Kremlin talking points, according to senior European officials, raising concerns ahead of America’s midterm elections about how to respond to the growing attempt to silently manipulate voters.
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States can also counter flag-of-convenience laundering by using financial intelligence to trace flag payments, reveal risks to insurers and financiers, and push rapid-deflagging for AIS-manipulating ships.
Cite this Entry
“Finagle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finagle. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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