wrangle

American  

[rang-guhl] / ˈræŋ gəl /

verb (used without object)

wrangled, wrangling

1. to argue or dispute, especially in a noisy or angry manner.

   Synonyms:

   brawl, quarrel

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verb (used with object)

wrangled, wrangling

1. to argue or dispute.

2. to tend or round up (cattle, horses, or other livestock).

3. to obtain, often by contrivance or scheming; wangle.

   He wrangled a job through a friend.

noun

1. a noisy or angry dispute; altercation.

   Synonyms:

   argument, brawl, quarrel

wrangle British  

/ ˈræŋɡəl /

verb

1. (intr) to argue, esp noisily or angrily

2. (tr) to encourage, persuade, or obtain by argument

3. (tr) to herd (cattle or horses)

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noun

1. a noisy or angry argument

Other Word Forms

• outwrangle verb (used with object)
• unwrangling adjective

Etymology

Origin of wrangle

1350–1400; Middle English, apparently < Low German wrangeln, frequentative of wrangen to struggle, make an uproar; akin to wring

Example Sentences

He could either exploit the armada as leverage to wrangle a diplomatic deal or pull the trigger.

From Slate • Mar. 4, 2026

For politicians, what’s “in” at any moment is important to wrangle votes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 18, 2026

As diplomats wrangle for a breakthrough in what has been Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II, Russia has continued to press forward with its assault, bombarding Ukraine daily.

From Barron's • Jan. 9, 2026

On Thursday, North Norfolk District Council ended the long-running planning wrangle by approving the entertainment company's retrospective application for the work.

From BBC • Oct. 16, 2025

Jobs not only received the parts he asked for, he managed to wrangle a summer job.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

• altercation
• bickering
• brawl
• brouhaha
• disagreement
• falling-out
• flap
• fracas
• hassle
• quarrel
• ruckus
• squabble
• tiff