1
as in negotiating
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 cheating
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 finagling
Other songs are less terminally online and more reminiscent of finagling fake IDs and getting blitzed on the LES.
—
Lydia Wei, Pitchfork, 20 Feb. 2026
Lydia Wei, Pitchfork, 20 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finagling
Verb
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It would soon be revealed that Michael was simultaneously busy negotiating an alternative deal with Anthropic’s chief rival, OpenAI.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
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Herrick is credited with building up the Academy's library into one of the world's primary film research centers, as well as negotiating the award show's first television contract — and a major step toward financial independence — in 1953.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Billionaire Ronald Burkle is suing political power-broker Darius Anderson, accusing his former protégé and friend of cheating him out of millions of dollars.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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An Arsenal throw-in on their right-hand side, in the 14th minute, prompts chants of ‘Same old Arsenal, always cheating’ as the clock ticks away.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For example gerrymandering, or the practice of manipulating electoral district boundaries to favor one political party, is an ongoing, albeit controversial tactic among both Democrats and Republicans.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
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The skills could include tasks such as folding boxes, assembling components, or even manipulating objects, activities that still remain challenging for many robotic systems.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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From his first run with the Academy Awards arranging team in 2008, Walden was hooked; the job seamlessly blended his favorite parts about film scoring and classical composing.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
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The Paley Center for Media is arranging the pieces for its Paley Honors Spring Gala program.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Machado tossed a scoreless eighth after maneuvering around a pair of two-out singles.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
15 Mar. 2026
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Homing torpedoes and heat-seeking missiles alter their trajectory to intercept maneuvering targets.—
Jon R. Lindsay,
The Conversation,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But, ultimately, Sullivan decided to pursue a career in engineering late in high school.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
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EnzymeThreads is engineering high-performance enzymes designed to break down PET into its original monomers.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Iran may soon run out of drones, yet has other asymmetrical options – such as choking the Strait of Hormuz or plotting terror on foreign soil – that can irritate the US and disrupt peace.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
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Declan Rice and Gabriel are deep in conversation, plotting what could have been their team’s 22nd set-piece goal of the season — a familiar scene and something that antagonises the Brighton supporters.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Finagling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finagling. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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