Word of the Day : August 26, 2019

wangle \WANG-gul\ verb

Definition

1 : to resort to trickery

2 : to adjust or manipulate for personal or fraudulent ends

3 : to make or get by devious means : finagle

Did You Know?

Wangle, a verb of uncertain origin, has been used in its newest sense, "to obtain by sly methods," since at least the early 20th century. Occasionally, one sees wrangle used similarly, as in "wrangle a huge salary," but more typically it means "to argue or engage in controversy." Did the "obtain" sense of wrangle evolve through confusion with wangle? Not exactly. Wrangle was used with the meaning "to obtain by arguing or bargaining" since the early 17th century, long before wangle appeared in the language. The sense had all but disappeared until recent decades, however, and its revival may very well have been influenced by wangle. The "obtain" sense of wangle is currently more common than that use of wrangle, but both are considered standard.

Aired August 26, 2019

All Merriam-Webster content is available at www.merriam-webster.com