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
Example Sentences
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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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On Monday, Corinne Tapia Babcock, one of the four commissioners stepping down, said that by the time items come to the board, they often have already been negotiated by the fire chief, the mayor and the City Council.—
Paul Pringle,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
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Improving transparency could include showing how prices vary by pharmacy or region, how discounts are negotiated and how insurance compares with cash prices.—
Berkeley Lovelace Jr,
NBC news,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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So those Santa Ana constituents would be cheated out of services if the money remained solely in the First District.—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
17 Mar. 2026
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Increasingly bitter about being cheated, and decreasingly able or willing to hide it, Rick exhibits erratic behavior that alienates his friends, his family, his band.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In Lagos, sourcing a sizable Uber for luggage can be tricky; transport to and from the airport can be arranged at a (costly) premium.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Mar. 2026
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Snider arranged and paid for a nude photoshoot that helped Stratten get noticed by Playboy at age 18.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Warren cited the possibility that Grok could leak classified information to adversaries, be manipulated based on biased or inaccurate data, or lack critical safety controls and put service members in danger.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
16 Mar. 2026
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The situation might have been manipulated but their reactions remain natural even if slightly tentative.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Down 79-67, Johnson and Jokic engineered a 9-0 run highlighted by a Jokic 4-point play, interception and fast-break dunk in quick succession.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
15 Mar. 2026
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In the very homespun, letterman-sweater kind of town that is Lincoln, Nebraska’s basketball resurrection has been appropriately engineered by Hoiberg & Son.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Finagled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finagled. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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