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
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 
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
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lift a finger.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near lift a finger
Cite this Entry
“Lift a finger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lift%20a%20finger. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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