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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of finagling
Try finagling these parts out, or read the manual for your model to see if this is an option.
—
Natalia Gonzalez Blanco Serrano, The Spruce, 11 May 2026
That's a reasonable take, but getting to the point of expanding the postseason once again is going to take some finagling at this time.
—Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026
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
Natalia Gonzalez Blanco Serrano, The Spruce, 11 May 2026
That's a reasonable take, but getting to the point of expanding the postseason once again is going to take some finagling at this time.
—Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finagling
Verb
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Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator between the US and Iran in recent months during the war in the Middle East, playing a leading role in negotiating a temporary ceasefire in April.—
Alayna Treene,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
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College hockey already is negotiating a tumultuous era.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Welker asked Trump about his cheating claims.—
Alene Tchekmedyian,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2026
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Cooper’s girlfriend accused Cooper of cheating and threw his phone against a wall of Cooper’s apartment, according to the affidavit.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
Verb
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The ever-expanding, replicating, and manipulating series of rooms take scraps and memories of those who pass through it, expanding into something that defies personality or ease.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
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Uribe sued Cepeda for allegedly manipulating witnesses, but the Supreme Court cleared Cepeda of wrongdoing.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Ikebana flower arranging — Japan Ikebana, the traditional Japanese art of flower arranging, has been practiced since the late 15th century and remains deeply embedded in Japanese culture today.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2026
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Ikebana flower arranging — Japan.—
Hanna Wickes,
Sacbee.com,
29 May 2026
Verb
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By strategically maneuvering Bowers, Kubiak can put more pressure on opposing defenses, causing mistakes and creating mismatches.—
Sam Warren,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
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After launch, the glide vehicle separates from its booster and races toward its target at hypersonic speed while maneuvering along the way.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Weston, a junior biosystems engineering major at Auburn, was last seen in the Kyoto area on CCTV on Friday, May 29, exiting a train in Yamashina.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
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Higginbotham is a native of Hoover, Alabama, and is majoring in biosystems engineering at Auburn, according to the university and Hoover Mayor Nick Derzis.—
Anthony Trotter,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Bolsonaro was arrested and ultimately convicted of plotting a coup to overturn the results of that election.—
Jim DeFede,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
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Scary Movie was just released and Marlon Wayans is already plotting a cameo for the next sequel.—
Derek Lawrence,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Finagling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finagling. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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