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
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.
Celebrity crocodile wrangler Matt Wright will spend five months in prison for tampering with evidence after a helicopter crash that killed his co-star and left the pilot a paraplegic.
From BBC • Dec. 12, 2025
“Maybe I was an animal wrangler so I could put myself through chef school,” he says.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2025
Garcia appeared in the first movie as an animal wrangler; in the new film, he plays a chef.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2025
One press wrangler got particularly testy about entry, prompting one veteran reporter to ask “Are they going to fingerprint us too?” as they worked their way toward the president.
From Salon • Nov. 28, 2024
The wrangler wore a Stetson hat on his greasy hair, an extra-large set of jeans, and a pair of black leather boots.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
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.
