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
This whole thing seems staged, planned, finagled, massaged, bamboozled, lollygagged, and all sorts of other long, silly-sounding words that may not necessarily apply to this situation.
—
Brian Moylan, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2025
Can’t finagle a flight to Hawaii right now?
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2025
Having finagled an invite from Prater’s steely assistant, Charley (Uma Thurman, sporting an asymmetrical bob and a disgusted glower), Dexter infiltrates the group looking for villains to bring to his kill table.
—EW.com, 10 July 2025
This, too: though praising FIFA for anything requires pinching one’s nose, the poohbahs were right to finagle Inter Miami into the tournament.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for finagle
Brian Moylan, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2025
Can’t finagle a flight to Hawaii right now?
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2025
Having finagled an invite from Prater’s steely assistant, Charley (Uma Thurman, sporting an asymmetrical bob and a disgusted glower), Dexter infiltrates the group looking for villains to bring to his kill table.
—EW.com, 10 July 2025
This, too: though praising FIFA for anything requires pinching one’s nose, the poohbahs were right to finagle Inter Miami into the tournament.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for finagle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finagle
Verb
-
Hunter has set himself a very fine amount of emotional and physical space within which to work, and there’s pleasure in watching Metcalf and Stock negotiate the tiptoeing way Sarah and Ethan grow closer.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The houses, often apartments inside the city’s tall residential buildings, strike so much fear among residents that anyone willing to live there can negotiate hefty discounts in one of the world’s most expensive property markets.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Blashill wants the Blackhawks to be a fast-pressure team at both ends of the rink, one that attacks vertically but never cheats for offense.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
-
When athletes are caught cheating, a number of familiar examples are often brought up.—
David Hill,
Rolling Stone,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The goal of the program, arranged through the hotel concierge, is to encourage discovery of the soul of an area through bold design, local culture, and meaningful connections.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Insofar as it is left to the invisible hand to arrange these matters, this scenario seems truly unavoidable.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
As people increasingly turn to such bots for emotional support and life advice, recent incidents have spotlighted their potential to manipulate vulnerable people by facilitating a false sense of closeness or care.—
Angela Yang,
NBC news,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The face-down between a pitcher and a batter, especially in a World Series, has enough tension without needing to be manipulated by outside music.—
Alison Weinflash,
Rolling Stone,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Finagle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finagle. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share