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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They are being hit so hard, anybody would be negotiating.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
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The Melreese referendum passed with about 60 percent support from Miami voters in November 2018, allowing the city and Inter Miami to begin negotiating a lease agreement.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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An angler competing in a walleye derby on Saskatchewan’s Montreal Lake was kicked out of the ice-fishing tournament Saturday after being accused of cheating.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
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Last year, a dozen people were charged with using and selling a smog-check cheating device.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Full-palm tactile sensing allows the robot to continue manipulating objects even when cameras are obstructed or when precise force control is required, such as in assembly tasks.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Mar. 2026
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Orban started manipulating these grievances, and did so to significantly divide Hungarian society.—
John Shattuck,
The Conversation,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But arranging spheres becomes significantly more complex in higher dimensions, which allow for more arrangements and symmetries.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
26 Mar. 2026
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Unbeknownst to Audrey, her cousin had secretly coordinated with several of her closest friends, arranging surprise appearances on the plane and at their destination.—
Ronnie Li,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But when some sly maneuvering on his part gets his photo and name in the tabloids as a Bond frontrunner, the chaos that follows takes over the days leading up to Eid — the most important holiday of the year for his British Pakistani family.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
27 Mar. 2026
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Most Eagle Creek luggage products feature two wheels instead of four, which can cause them to tip when the user is not holding them upright and can make maneuvering through airports difficult.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The intense pressure at this depth, however, has made engineering such vessels with large viewing windows incredibly difficult.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
27 Mar. 2026
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Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman told CBS News that the most effective way to reduce oil consumption is for people to change their driving habits — primarily by driving less — while acknowledging that engineering such a shift isn't easy.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In Minnesota, a man was sentenced to life in prison for plotting the murder of a real estate agent in part by luring her to a bogus showing.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
29 Mar. 2026
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Meanwhile, Cam is quietly plotting to reclaim his post, turning every misstep into ammunition.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Finagling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finagling. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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