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
But, while many of us hope that Maduro will be forced to leave by his own military without an invasion, few countries would lift a finger to support the Venezuelan dictator.
—
Miami Herald, 11 Dec. 2025
At this point, hanging out sometimes feels less like spending time with a friend and more like coordinating an event for someone who won’t lift a finger to help.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for lift a finger
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Miami Herald, 11 Dec. 2025
At this point, hanging out sometimes feels less like spending time with a friend and more like coordinating an event for someone who won’t lift a finger to help.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for lift a finger
Cite this Entry
“Lift a finger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lift%20a%20finger. Accessed 18 Dec. 2025.
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