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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of finagle
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
Other songs are less terminally online and more reminiscent of finagling fake IDs and getting blitzed on the LES.
—Lydia Wei, Pitchfork, 20 Feb. 2026
Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski likes to finagle with footwork in his free time, studying and practicing patterns that help him outwit defenders on the basketball court.
—Sam Gordon, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Jan. 2026
And somehow that felt easier to finagle than this.
—Samantha Leal, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for finagle
Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
Other songs are less terminally online and more reminiscent of finagling fake IDs and getting blitzed on the LES.
—Lydia Wei, Pitchfork, 20 Feb. 2026
Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski likes to finagle with footwork in his free time, studying and practicing patterns that help him outwit defenders on the basketball court.
—Sam Gordon, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Jan. 2026
And somehow that felt easier to finagle than this.
—Samantha Leal, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for finagle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finagle
Verb
-
Despite attempts to negotiate the Strait of Hormuz’s reopening during an ongoing ceasefire, the narrow waterway remains shut to virtually all ship traffic.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Olthof Homes successfully challenged a $100,000 penalty levied by the town in the Indiana Court of Appeals, so a lower fine was negotiated between the two parties.—
Amy Lavalley,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Fred, their oldest surviving child, was suspended from Princeton for cheating, then caught embezzling from his Seattle employer to feed, Church suspected, a gambling habit.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Venezuela contends the Americans and Europeans conspired to cheat their country out of the land.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Others kick things up by arranging private beach bonfires in the evening, catamaran outings by day, surf lessons with Engstrom Surf, and even customized tarot card readings.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 May 2026
-
If the Leafs take Stenberg, and the Sharks want a defenseman and are confident that the Vancouver Canucks will select McKenna, maybe the two Pacific Division teams can arrange a trade.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Defense attorneys argued at trial that the investigation into the assassination was a mess and that the four were manipulated into taking blame for an internal coup.—
David Fischer,
Sun Sentinel,
8 May 2026
-
Still, the video is raising broader concerns about how AI could be used to manipulate voters, particularly as increasingly realistic deepfake technology becomes more widespread.—
Steve Large,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Finagle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finagle. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
