wangle
[ wang-guhl ]
/ ˈwæŋ gəl /
verb (used with object), wan·gled, wan·gling.
to bring about, accomplish, or obtain by scheming or underhand methods: to wangle an invitation.
to falsify or manipulate for dishonest ends: to wangle business records.
verb (used without object), wan·gled, wan·gling.
to use contrivance, scheming, or underhand methods to obtain some goal or result.
to manipulate something for dishonest ends.
noun
an act or instance of wangling.
Nearby words
Origin of wangle
SYNONYMS FOR wangle
Related formswan·gler, noun
Can be confusedwangle wrangle
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for wangle
British Dictionary definitions for wangle
wangle
/ (ˈwæŋɡəl) informal /
verb
(tr) to use devious or illicit methods to get or achieve (something) for (oneself or another)he wangled himself a salary increase
to manipulate or falsify (a situation, action, etc)
noun
the act or an instance of wangling
Derived Formswangler, noun
Word Origin for wangle
C19: originally printers' slang, perhaps a blend of waggle and dialect wankle wavering, from Old English wancol; compare Old High German wankōn to waver
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 wangle
wangle
"obtain something by trickery," 1888, originally British printer's slang for "fake by manipulation;" perhaps an alteration of waggle, or of wankle (now dialectal) "unsteady, fickle," from Old English wancol (see wench). Brought into wider use by World War I soldiers.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper