lift a finger

idiom

: to make an effort to do something
usually used in negative statements
I have so many chores to do, and my sister won't lift a finger to help me.
He never lifted a finger to try to improve his failing grades.

Examples of lift a finger in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
None of the other five people around her so much as lift a finger — even after the assailant was no longer an imminent threat. Carlo Versano, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025 Shure’s popper stopper and digital denoiser work their magic in cleaning up your signal without requiring you to lift a finger. Phil Nickinson, PC Magazine, 11 Aug. 2025 This system works with Alexa and Google assistant for quick temperature adjustments that won’t require you to lift a finger. Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 9 July 2025 The Bourbon Butlers offer our guests a turnkey way to engage with all Bardstown has to offer, without having to lift a finger. Jillian Dara, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for lift a finger

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Cite this Entry

“Lift a finger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lift%20a%20finger. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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