AbstractFor a given , we say that a graph is ‐flexibly ‐choosable if the following holds: for any assignment of color lists of size on , if a preferred color from a list is requested at any set of vertices, then at least of these requests are satisfied by some ‐coloring. We consider the question of flexible choosability in several graph classes with certain degeneracy conditions. We characterize the graphs of maximum degree that are ‐flexibly ‐choosable for some , which answers a question of Dvořák Norin, and Postle [List coloring with requests, JGT 2019]. In particular, we show that for any , any graph of maximum degree that is not isomorphic to is ‐flexibly ‐choosable. Our fraction of is within a constant factor of being the best possible. We also show that graphs of treewidth 2 are ‐flexibly 3‐choosable, answering a question of Choi et al. [Flexibility of planar graphs‐sharpening the tools to get lists of size four, DAM 2022], and we give conditions for list assignments by which graphs of treewidth are ‐flexibly ‐choosable. We show furthermore that graphs of treedepth are ‐flexibly ‐choosable. Finally, we introduce a notion of flexible degeneracy, which strengthens flexible choosability, and we show that apart from a well‐understood class of exceptions, 3‐connected nonregular graphs of maximum degree are flexibly ‐degenerate.