lift a finger

idiom

: to make an effort to do something

—usually used in negative statements

I have so many chores to do, and my sister won't lift a finger to help me.

He never lifted a finger to try to improve his failing grades.

Examples of lift a finger in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Genius! Find it on Amazon Motorized TV Stand Don’t lift a finger, and have the vertical lift mechanism controlled by a remote do it for you. —

Margaret Drake, Rolling Stone, 22 Sep. 2024 There were several people who did not lift a finger and blew off their work shifts, forcing other campers to step up and keep things running. —

Morena Duwe, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2024 The best part was, those of us planning the bachelorette didn't have to lift a finger. —

Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 12 July 2024 The 35,000 Fifth Third Bank customers set to be reimbursed after the bank was fined for shady practices by the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau don't have to lift a finger to get their money back. —

Amber Hunt, The Enquirer, 12 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for lift a finger

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“Lift a finger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lift%20a%20finger. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

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