wrangle
[rang-guh l]
- to argue or dispute, especially in a noisy or angry manner.
- to argue or dispute.
- to tend or round up (cattle, horses, or other livestock).
- to obtain, often by contrivance or scheming; wangle: He wrangled a job through a friend.
- a noisy or angry dispute; altercation.
Origin of wrangle
1350–1400; Middle English, apparently < Low German wrangeln, frequentative of wrangen to struggle, make an uproar; akin to wring
Synonyms
See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com1, 5. quarrel, brawl. 5. argument.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for wrangling
Contemporary Examples
As the wrangling continued, Lloyd and Postol grew to rely on their new colleague, Susli.
No wrangling with credit card machines or digging for change.
Semi-rigged elections, and blurred lines between business and government—Beijing's wrangling would make Boss Tweed proud.
The New York Times even compared the wrangling to a “public blood fued.”
Better still, on top of wrangling four kids and executing her first-lady-of-Jersey duties, Mary Pat has her own career.
Historical Examples
We have a few moments to spare; let us not waste them in talk like wrangling women.
The Last of the MohicansJames Fenimore Cooper
"In God's name let us keep from wrangling," the Duke besought them.
Mistress WildingRafael Sabatini
Harris, wrangling with another workman, was now seen approaching.
Sue, A Little HeroineL. T. Meade
There was riot, wrangling, hubbub and cursing, till the hour of evening prayer.
General GordonJ. Wardle
War came on while governors and assemblies were wrangling to no purpose.
The War of IndependenceJohn Fiske
wrangle
- (intr) to argue, esp noisily or angrily
- (tr) to encourage, persuade, or obtain by argument
- (tr) Western US and Canadian to herd (cattle or horses)
- a noisy or angry argument
Word Origin
C14: from Low German wrangeln; related to Norwegian vrangla
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for wrangling
wrangle
v.
late 14c., from Low German wrangeln "to dispute, to wrestle," related to Middle Low German wringen, from Proto-Germanic *wrang-, from PIE *wrengh-, nasalized variant of *wergh- "to turn" (see wring). Related: Wrangled; wrangling. The noun is recorded from 1540s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper