wrangler
Americannoun
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a cowboy, especially one in charge of saddle horses.
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a person who wrangles or disputes.
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(at Cambridge University, England) a person placed in the first class in the mathematics tripos.
noun
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one who wrangles
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a herder; cowboy
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a person who handles or controls animals involved in the making of a film or television programme
a snake wrangler
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(at Cambridge University) a candidate who has obtained first-class honours in Part II of the mathematics tripos. The wrangler with the highest marks is called the senior wrangler
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of wrangler
1505–15; wrangle + -er 1; wrangler ( def. 1 ) originally horse-wrangler, probably partial translation of Mexican Spanish caballerango groom, stable boy, with -erango suggesting wrangler
Explanation
A wrangler primarily manages horses and livestock. The term can also describe a teacher skillfully controlling rowdy first graders, or even someone adept at handling disputes and arguments. The word wrangler comes from the Old High German wrangal, meaning "to struggle," reflecting the tough job of managing livestock. It typically describes those who care for horses or cattle. The term can also playfully refer to anyone skilled at handling noisy groups, like a teacher who masterfully manages a bunch of energetic children. When applied to someone argumentative, wrangler refers to a person who is passionate and loud in disputes, engaging in debates with the intensity of a cowboy managing unruly horses.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Those EV cars, they’ll run you over because you can’t even hear them,” said Matthews, 28, who lives in Manchester, England, and bought her navy Jeep Wrangler YJ last month for about $16,500.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 29, 2026
In Kenya, the owner of a factory that exports Wrangler and Levi's jeans under the deal said the extension was "good news".
From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026
Based in Salinas, Calif., a blue-collar city outside of Monterey, the floors of Pacific Valley are frequently covered in dirt that farmers track in, dressed in Wrangler jeans and work boots.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026
One of the focal points in Freeside is the Atomic Wrangler, a multi-story casino and bar with lodging that was featured in “Fallout: New Vegas.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 14, 2026
These were Wrangler, and he rarely wore them because the others were Levi’s, which he claimed were better, but he’d kept the Wranglers for years anyway.
From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
