wrangle

1 of 2

verb

wran·​gle ˈraŋ-gəl How to pronounce wrangle (audio)
wrangled; wrangling ˈraŋ-g(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce wrangle (audio)

intransitive verb

1
: to dispute angrily or peevishly : bicker
2
: to engage in argument or controversy

transitive verb

1
: to obtain by persistent arguing or maneuvering : wangle
2
[back-formation from wrangler] : to herd and care for (livestock and especially horses) on the range

wrangle

2 of 2

noun

1
: an angry, noisy, or prolonged dispute or quarrel
2
: the action or process of wrangling
Choose the Right Synonym for wrangle

quarrel, wrangle, altercation, squabble mean a noisy dispute usually marked by anger.

quarrel implies heated verbal contention, stressing strained or severed relations which may persist beyond the contention.

a quarrel nearly destroyed the relationship

wrangle suggests undignified and often futile disputation with a noisy insistence on differing opinions.

wrangle interminably about small issues

altercation implies fighting with words as the chief weapon, although it may also connote blows.

a loud public altercation

squabble stresses childish and unseemly dispute over petty matters, but it need not imply bitterness or anger.

a brief squabble over what to do next

Examples of wrangle in a Sentence

Verb They were wrangling over money. He made a living wrangling horses. Noun They had a bitter wrangle over custody of their children. there was a bit of a wrangle over how much money to give the high school for its sports programs
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Sony Pictures Entertainment is in talks to join Apollo Global Management in its $26-billion bid for Paramount Global — a partnership that would boost the private equity firm’s efforts to wrangle the prize. Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024 The central bank began its quantitative tightening campaign in March 2022, raising interest rates to between 5.25% and 5.5% in an attempt to wrangle inflation to its 2% target. Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 18 Apr. 2024 The confrontation is just a snapshot of the conflicts within the House Republican conference as Johnson struggles to wrangle his colleagues around the proposal to ship billions of dollars in aid to U.S. allies. Lawrence Andrea, Journal Sentinel, 18 Apr. 2024 Wildlife officials returned to the property and wrangled the reptile into a container. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2024 The difficulty of wrangling eggs, though, doesn’t have to mean limiting options for women. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2024 Pros: The no-rinse shampoo is easy to apply and doesn’t require you to wrangle your cat into a bathtub (because neither of you will enjoy that). Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 26 Mar. 2024 After months of wrangling by the Free Press, the city recently released hundreds of these records. Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press, 17 Mar. 2024 Mortgage rates are being buoyed both by stubborn inflation that came in hotter than expected at 3.2% in February, thanks in large part to shelter and gasoline prices, and the Federal Reserve’s attempt to wrangle it down to a 2% target. Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 1 Apr. 2024
Noun
As opponents to the development tell it, the current wrangle began on Oct. 12, several hours before the City Council approved the plan. Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024 There were other obstacles to battle past such as complicated contractual wrangles and piracy problems to secure their master tapes sold to a former manager and Zambia Music Parlour. Tracy Kawalik, SPIN, 5 Mar. 2024 Husband and father Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) uproots an oversized Christmas tree, decorates his house with enough lights to cause a citywide power outage, and wrangles annoying family members, all in the hope of forcing a perfect, magical Christmas where nothing goes wrong. Andrew Walsh, EW.com, 12 Dec. 2023 Read Next Watch snake catcher wrangle one of world’s most venomous snakes from roof in Australia January 19, 2024 12:40 PM This story was originally published January 22, 2024, 10:47 AM. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 2 Feb. 2024 Edward Lucas, a senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, wrote on Sunday that petty wrangles over rules had spiraled out of control. Marc Santora, New York Times, 7 Dec. 2023 But the president’s message was much broader than the wrangle over funding, and his real target was the American public. Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2023 Congressional reporters tracked the interns’ progress on Twitter, now known as X. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) offered to help the group wrangle Senate leadership. Daniel Wu, Washington Post, 31 July 2023 While Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter could be a strong consideration here, there's still a case for Wilson, who can deploy his massive 6-6, 271-pound frame to push the pocket or wrangle running backs in the backfield. Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wrangle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English; akin to Old High German ringan to struggle — more at wring

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wrangle was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Wrangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wrangle. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

wrangle

1 of 2 verb
wran·​gle ˈraŋ-gəl How to pronounce wrangle (audio)
wrangled; wrangling -g(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce wrangle (audio)
1
: to have an angry quarrel
2
: to take part in an argument
3
: to herd and care for livestock and especially horses on the range

wrangle

2 of 2 noun
: an angry, noisy, or lengthy dispute or quarrel

More from Merriam-Webster on wrangle

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