wheedle
verb
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Wheedle Comes Up Often in Literature
Wheedle has been a part of the English lexicon since the mid-17th century, though no one is quite sure how it wheedled its way in. (It has been suggested that the term may have come from the Old English word wǽdlian, which meant "to beg," but this is far from certain.) Be careful not to confuse wheedle with the similar-sounding weasel. While both words are applied in situations in which someone is trying to persuade another person, weasel is especially apt in cases in which the persuader is being clever or dishonest in their efforts, while wheedle always specifically involves soft words and flattery.
Examples of wheedle in a Sentence
Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 24 July 2025
Eli Mintz, a Yiddish-theatre star, played Uncle David with a high, wheedling voice, his hands a blur of gesticulation, and the Goldberg children were portrayed by Gentile actors, including the endearing Arlene (Fuzzy) McQuade as the preteen Rosalie, a studious girl with a sleek bob.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
The ObamaCare failure made the tax cut harder, but after months of jawboning and wheedling, the White House got the deal done at the end of 2017.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 2 May 2025
And yet, about four years ago, images of myself with flaxen hair started to wheedle their way into my brain and park there.
—Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wheedle
Cite this Entry
“Wheedle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wheedle. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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