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
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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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The companies could also sell excess power generation to utilities for public consumption, in addition to negotiating separate rate structures with public utilities and states, ensuring expenses are not passed on to consumers.—
Josh Boak,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
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And, creditors and debt collectors are often open to negotiating a settlement even after a lawsuit has been filed.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
6 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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There’s a rich commonality between him and Venus that could be explored here—who’s manipulating Rika more?—
Sarah Chihaya,
New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2026
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Epstein offered to host Mandelson in a New York apartment in 2009, about five months before the two discussed by email manipulating then-British premier Gordon Brown to step down.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Authorities conducted a sting operation in September, arranging to meet her in a hotel room that Mays rented.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
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All that interior volume should inspire some serious creativity in terms of arranging different floor plans.—
C.C. Weiss
March 05,
New Atlas,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The missile’s maneuvering ability in the terminal phase complicates interception.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Mar. 2026
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Then, in overtime, Team USA’s Megan Keller made an incredible individual play, maneuvering around a defender and then chipping the puck past the goalie.—
The Sports Desk,
NBC news,
20 Feb. 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 10 Mar. 2026.
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