1.
somehow, by some means
Managing to do something despite difficulty; finding a way to accomplish something.
2.
something, some-such, what's-it-called
Used when you can't remember or don't want to specify a name or word.
Have you seen that whatchamacallit movie? The one with the famous actor.
何とか has two distinct uses: (1) "somehow" when managing despite difficulty, and (2) "something" as a placeholder for forgotten or unspecified names.
USE 1 - SOMEHOW:
- 何とか間に合った: I somehow made it in time
- 何とかなる: things will work out somehow
- 何とかして: to manage somehow, to do something about it
USE 2 - PLACEHOLDER:
- 田中何とかさん: Tanaka what's-his-name
- あの何とかという映画: that whatchamacallit movie
WRITING:
Often written in hiragana (なんとか) in casual contexts.