wrangle
RANG-guhl
/ˈræŋ.ɡəl/
To have a long and complicated dispute; or to round up or manage (especially livestock).
Suggests a messy, protracted, and often tiresome argument.
The story behind the word. From Middle English, related to Low German 'wrangen' (to wrestle or struggle). It originally described physical wrestling before it moved to verbal wrestling.
Word relationships
- dispute: A dispute is the fact of the disagreement; a wrangle is the messy process of arguing it out.
- settle: To settle is to end the argument; to wrangle is to keep it going.
Commonly confused with
- tangle: A tangle is a physical knot; a wrangle is a verbal or legal knot.
Word family
- wrangler (noun): A person who wrangles (also a cowboy).
Collocations
- legal wrangle
- political wrangling
- wrangle over
Example sentences
- "The two companies have been wrangling over the patent rights for nearly a decade." Legal context.
- "After weeks of political wrangling, the bill was finally passed." Politics.
Memory hook
Wrangle sounds like 'tangle'—it's a tangled, messy argument. Verbal wrestling.
When not to use
Not for a quick, sharp clash; it implies duration.
Fun facts
- At Cambridge University, a 'Wrangler' is a student who has completed the third year of the Mathematical Tripos with first-class honors.
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