wrangle

Syllables: wran·gle/ˈɹæŋɡəl/US/ˈɹeɪ̯ŋɡəl/

wrangle verb: to convince or influence (someone) by arguing or contending.

Verb

wrangle (third-person singular simple present wrangles, present participle wrangling, simple past and past participle wrangled)

(transitive) To convince or influence (someone) by arguing or contending.
(transitive) Followed by out of: to elicit (something) from a person by arguing or bargaining.
- [W]e vvrangled out of the King ten quarters of Corne for a copper Kettel, the vvhich the Preſident preceiving him much to affect, valued it at a much greater rate; […]1624, William Simons, “Captaine Smiths Iourney to Pamavnkee”, in Iohn [i.e., John] Smith, The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles: […], London: […] I[ohn] D[awson] and...
(archaic, rare, transitive) To speak or write (something) in an argumentative or contentious manner.
- [H]e has taken in, Sir, the vvhole ſubject,— […] begging, borrovving, and ſtealing, as he vvent along, all that had been vvrote or vvrangled thereupon in the ſchools and porticos of the learned; […]1761, [Laurence Sterne], chapter XXXVIII, in The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, volume III, London: […] R[obert] and J[ames] Dodsley […], →OCLC, pages 177–178
(archaic, rare, transitive) To spend (time) arguing or quarrelling.
(US, Western, transitive) To herd (horses or other livestock).
- When she [Debbie Reynolds as Lucretia Rogers] tries to wrangle a calf, she ends up flat on her face in the barnyard muck.1962 January 12, “Cinema: The Second Time Around [film review]”, in Roy Alexander, editor, Time, New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 17 Jul 2010
1. (US, Western, broadly, humorous, transitive) To manage or supervise (people).
  - Wrangling a chaotic group of five-year-olds is unnerving enough without the added stress of a famous NHLer [Brian Gionta] in the room helping lace his son’s skates.2010 October 3, Sean Gordon, “Gionta settles in, stands out”, in The Globe and Mail, Toronto, Ont.: The Globe and Mail Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 15 Jun 2021
2. (US, Western, figuratively, transitive) To gather and organize (data, facts, information, etc.), especially in a way which requires sentience rather than automated methods alone, as in data wrangling.
(obsolete, transitive) Followed by out of: to compel or drive (someone or something) away through arguing.
- To VVrangle the Devil, out of the Country, vvill be truly a Nevv Experiment! Alas, vve are not Avvare of the Devil, if vve do not think, that he aims at Enflaming us one againſt another; & ſhall vve ſuffer our ſelves to be Devil-Ridden? or, by any Vnadviſableneſs, contribute unto the VVidening of...1692 (indicated as 1693), Cotton Mather, “Enchantments Encountred”, in The Wonders of the Invisible World. Observations as well Historical as Theological, upon the Nature, the Number, and the...
(obsolete, transitive) Followed by out: to put forward arguments on (a case, a matter disagreed upon, etc.).
- VVell then, if I make 'hem not vvrangle out this caſe, to his no comfort, let me be thought a Iack Davv, or La-Foole, or any thing vvorſe.1609 December (first performance), Beniamin Ionson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “Epicoene, or The Silent Woman. A Comœdie. […]”, in The Workes of Beniamin Ionson (First Folio), London: […] Will[iam] Stansby...
(obsolete, reflexive, transitive) To cause (oneself) grief through arguing or quarrelling.
- When we have wrangled ourselves as long as our wits and strengths will serve us, the honest, downright sober English Protestant will be found, in the end, the man in the safest way, and by the surest line: […]1649 April 20 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Robert Sanderson, “[Appendix, No. 5.] Letter I. Dr. Sanderson to N. N., Respecting the Relative Merits of the Presbyterians and the Independents”, in...
(also, figuratively, intransitive) To quarrel angrily and noisily; to bicker.
- [A]fter his old manner, he wrangleth and quarrelleth.1574, John Whitgift, “Of Matters Touching Baptism. Tract XVI. [Of the Parties that are to be Baptised. Chapter iv. The First Division.]”, in John Ayre, editor, The Works of John Whitgift, D.D. […]...
- Mens natures vvrangle with inferior things, / Tho great ones are the obiect, […]c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragœdy of Othello, the Moore of Venice. […] (First Quarto), London: […] N[icholas] O[kes] for Thomas Walkley, […], published 1622, →OCLC, [Act...
Synonyms:

altercate, contend, squabble, barney, bicker, quarrel, argue, tiff, tift, quibble
(intransitive) To make harsh noises as if quarrelling.
- A suitable attire the horses shew; / Their golden bits keep wrangling as they go; […]1816, Leigh Hunt, “Canto I. The Coming to Fetch the Bride from Ravenna.”, in The Story of Rimini, a Poem, London: […] T[homas] Davison, […]; for J[ohn] Murray; W[illiam] Blackwood, […]; and Cumming...
- Distant and near and low and loud the bells, / Dominican, Benedictine, and Franciscan, / Jangle and wrangle in their airy towers, / Discordant as the brotherhoods themselves / In their dim cloisters.a. 1883 (date written; first published 1883 January), Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “Monologue”, in Michael Angelo: A Dramatic Poem, Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.: Houghton, Mifflin and Company […]...
Synonyms:

jangle
(also, figuratively, intransitive, generally) To argue, to debate; also (dated), to debate or discuss publicly, especially about a thesis at a university.
- Forſoothe, that vvhen he had concluded that vve muſt no liue by examples, but by lavves, he might make ſimple ſoules beleaue, that they ought not follovve the exãples of their holy forefathers, in bleſsing them ſelues, but to haue the name of the lavve in their mouthes and do nothing leſſe thã that...1566, Iohn Martiall [i.e., John Marshall], “That the Apostles and Fathers of the Primitive Churche Blessed Them Selves, &c. The Fifth Article.”, in A Replie to M. Calfhills Blasphemous Answer Made...
- VVher the Philoſophers as they think ſcorne to delight, ſo muſt they be content little to mooue; ſauing vvrangling vvhether Virtue be the chiefe or the onely good; […]a. 1587 (date written), Phillip Sidney [i.e., Philip Sidney], The Defence of Poesie, London: […] [Thomas Creede] for VVilliam Ponsonby, published 1595, →OCLC, signature E2, verso, →OCLC

Noun

wrangle (countable and uncountable, plural wrangles)

(countable) An angry dispute; a noisy quarrel; an altercation.
- For in that you would your awardship shuld take none effect, you shew your selfe nothing inclinable to the redresse of your brothers vnright dealinge wyth an honeste poore man, which hath bene redye at your request to doo you pleasure with his things, or els he had neuer come into this wrāgle for...1563 March 30 (Gregorian calendar), Hugh Latimer, “A Frutefull Letter of Maister Latimer Written to a Certaine Gentilman”, in John Foxe, Actes and Monuments of These Latter and Perillous Dayes, […]...
- This vvould of Neceſſity, breed an infinite Number of Brangles and litigious Suits in the Spiritual Courts, and put the vvretched Paſtor at perpetual Variance vvith his vvhole Pariſh.[1732 March 6 (Gregorian calendar; date written), [Jonathan Swift], Considerations upon Two Bills Sent Down from the R[ight] H[onourable] the H[ouse] of L[ords] to the H[onoura]ble H[ouse] of...
(uncountable) Angry disputation; noisy quarrelling.
- Wrangle and bloodshed followed thence.
- From this dialogue the assembly fell to wrangle, and broke up quarrelling.a. 1798 (date written), Horace Walpole, chapter III, in Denis Le Marchant, editor, Memoirs of the Reign of King George the Third. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley […], published 1845, →OCLC...
(obsolete) A contentious argument or response.
(obsolete) A controversy.

wrangle meaning in Tamil, Urdu, Malayalam and Kannada

wrangle in Malayalam

കലശൽ കൂട്ടുക, വഴക്കടിക്കുക, വഴക്കടിച്ചു സമയം കളയുക

wrangle in Kannada

ಜಗಳವಾಡು, ಕಲಹಮಾಡು, ಕಚ್ಚಾಡು, ಕಾದಾಡು, ವಾದಿಸು, ವಾಗ್ವಾದ ಮಾಡು

Examples of wrangle in a sentence

[T]hey sometimes wrangle with her for an hour together under my study window, like three sea-gulls screaming and sputtering in a gale of wind.1816, [Walter Scott], chapter XI, in The Antiquary. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co....
Then this person influenced by desire, on account of his ever-increasing anger and sense of self-importance, wrangleth with others in order to bring destruction down upon himself.1896, [Vyasa], chapter XXXI, in [anonymous], transl., edited by Manmatha Nath Dutt, A Prose English Translation of Srimadbhagavatam, book...
I stood where land and sea wrangled ferociously over the overlap.1941, Emily Carr, “Salt Water”, in Klee Wyck, centennial edition, Toronto, Ont.; Vancouver, B.C.: Clarke, Irwin & Company, published 1971...
But when I turn away, / Thou, willing me to stay, / Wooest not, nor vainly wranglest; / But, looking fixedly the while, / All my bounding heart entanglest, / In a golden-netted smile; […]1830 June, Alfred Tennyson, “Madeline”, in Poems. […], volume I, London: Edward Moxon, […], published 1842, →OCLC, stanza 3, page 19:

All 21 example sentences with wrangle

Synonyms of wrangle

4 more synonymsFewer synonyms

All synonyms of wrangle

Forms of wrangle

Verb
third-person singular present	wrangles
present participle	wrangling
past participle	wrangled
past	wrangled
second-person singular present (archaic)	wranglest
second-person singular past (archaic)	wrangledst
third-person singular present (archaic)	wrangleth
Noun
plural	wrangles

Past tense of wrangle: wrangled

Origin of wrangle

The verb is derived from Middle English wranglen, wrangle (“to contend with (someone) in a test of strength; (figuratively) to make misleading arguments to entrap”); from a Middle Dutch or Middle Low German word related to Middle Dutch wrangen and Middle Low German wrangen (“to cause an uproar; to struggle, wrestle”) (whence Low German wrangeln (“to wrangle”)), related to Middle Dutch wringen (“to twist; to wrest; to wring; to struggle, wrestle”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *wringaną (“to squeeze; to twist; to wring”). The noun is derived from the verb. Cognates * Danish vringle (“to twist, entangle”) * German rangeln (“to wrestle”)

Words formed from wrangle

Words that rhyme with wrangle

6 more rhymesFewer rhymes

Questions about wrangle

What does wrangle mean?: Wrangle means to convince or influence (someone) by arguing or contending.
What is wrangle in Tamil?: Wrangle in Tamil is பூசல், வாய்ச் சண்டை. See Wrangle meaning in Tamil.
How do you use wrangle in a sentence?: [T]hey sometimes wrangle with her for an hour together under my study window, like three sea-gulls screaming and sputtering in a gale of wind.
What part of speech is wrangle?: Wrangle can be a verb or a noun.
How do you pronounce wrangle?: Wrangle is pronounced /ˈɹæŋɡəl/.
What is the past tense of wrangle?: The past tense of wrangle is wrangled.

Words near wrangle in the dictionary

Adapted from Wiktionary: wrangle (page history and authors); wrangle (Tamil Wiktionary) (page history and authors); ادھم مچانا (Urdu) (page history and authors); wrangle (Malayalam Wiktionary) (page history and authors); wrangle (Kannada Wiktionary) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-wrangle.wav.

Cite this entry: “wrangle.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/wrangle. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.