finagle

verb

fi·​na·​gle fə-ˈnā-gəl 

finagled; finagling fə-ˈnā-g(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to obtain (something) by indirect or involved means

finagle a ride home

2

: to obtain (something) by trickery

He finagled his way into the concert.

intransitive verb

: to use devious or dishonest methods to achieve one's ends

I have long craved a convention where someone had to wheel and deal, … maneuver and finagle, to win the crown.

—Mark Plotkin

finagler

fə-ˈnā-g(ə-)lər 

noun

Synonyms of finagle

• negotiate
• arrange
• manipulate

Examples of finagle in a Sentence

A con man finagled my neighbor out of four hundred dollars.

let me look at my schedule and see if I can't finagle a visit to the museum

Recent Examples on the Web

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

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

And somehow that felt easier to finagle than this. —Samantha Leal, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

perhaps alteration of fainaigue to renege

First Known Use

circa 1924, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

finagle

verb

fi·​na·​gle fə-ˈnā-gəl 

finagled; finagling -g(ə-)liŋ 

: to use trickery to get what one wants

finagler

-g(ə-)lər 

noun