finagle

(fə nāgəl)

transitive verb finagled, finagling

Informal to get, arrange, or maneuver by cleverness, persuasion, etc., or esp. by craftiness, trickery, etc.

Origin: < ?

intransitive verb

to use craftiness, trickery, etc.

Related Forms:

See finagle in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb fi·na·gled, fi·na·gling, fi·na·gles
Informal
verb, transitive
  1. To obtain or achieve by indirect, usually deceitful methods: finagle a day off from work.
  2. To cheat; swindle: shady stockbrokers who finagle their clients out of fortunes.
verb, intransitive
To use crafty, deceitful methods.

Origin:

Origin: Probably from dialectal fainaigue, to cheat

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Related Forms:

  • fi·naˈgler noun

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