wheedle
verb (used with object)
to endeavor to influence (a person) by smooth, flattering, or beguiling words or acts.
had wheedled
-
past perfectof wheedle.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
His father, less a bully but now a user, had wheedled his way onto the set of “Rocky” and embarrassed him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Parker, meanwhile, had wheedled $50,000 from investors, and the pair moved to California.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 24, 2013
These he said he had wheedled from the Sultan of Java.
From Time Magazine Archive
“You know how it is,” Doc Daneeka had wheedled, with a sly, conspiratorial wink.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
Within ten minutes she had wheedled out of him an account of his accident.
From The Lost Naval Papers by Bennet Copplestone
