1
as in negotiated
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cheated
to use dishonest methods to achieve a goal
she'll finagle until she gets exactly what she wants
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of finagled
On Sunday, August 10, the JoBros kicked off their Jonas20 tour in New Jersey, with Nick telling the audience that after Joe landed a lead role in the Disney Channel Original Movie, their dad finagled a way for Kevin and Nick to get parts as well.
—
Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 11 Aug. 2025
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
Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 11 Aug. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finagled
Verb
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The one modern exception came during the 50-50 Senate of 2021-2022, and only because both parties had negotiated a power-sharing agreement that altered the rules by mutual consent.—
Phil Mattingly,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
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Last month, Foster negotiated a new three-year, $33 million extension for the Green Bay Packers’ Sean Rhyan, a Southern California native and UCLA product.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That’s the kind of corporate doublespeak that makes consumers feel cheated and disrespected.—
Christopher Elliott,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
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Schiller is a man who cheated death and whose harrowing ordeal is dramatized by actor Tony Shalhoub in a recent movie.—
Troy Roberts,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Shuttle services have been arranged to transport journalists between the media center and a hotel in the city’s main shopping mall.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
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Shipping can always be arranged—at a price.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The price of Celsius crypto would go up, but it was being manipulated by those in charge, all as a way to get ordinary citizens to invest.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2026
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Figures show crime was already on the decline before, although those figures are being investigated after claims arose against local police that they may have been manipulated.—
Gary Fields,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Material World is a weekly roundup of innovations and ideas within the materials sector, covering what’s changing in how fashion is made, scaled or engineered from emerging biomaterials and alternative leathers to sustainable substitutes and future-proof fibers.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Footwear News,
10 Apr. 2026
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Food was not something engineered.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Finagled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finagled. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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