wangle
verb /ˈwæŋɡl/
/ˈwæŋɡl/
(informal)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they wangle | /ˈwæŋɡl/ /ˈwæŋɡl/ |
| he / she / it wangles | /ˈwæŋɡlz/ /ˈwæŋɡlz/ |
| past simple wangled | /ˈwæŋɡld/ /ˈwæŋɡld/ |
| past participle wangled | /ˈwæŋɡld/ /ˈwæŋɡld/ |
| -ing form wangling | /ˈwæŋɡlɪŋ/ /ˈwæŋɡlɪŋ/ |
- to get something that you or another person wants, but do not really have a right to have, by persuading somebody or by a clever plan
- wangle something She had wangled an invitation to the opening night.
- We should be able to wangle it so that you can start tomorrow.
- He managed to wangle his way onto the course.
- wangle something from/out of somebody I'll try to wangle some money out of my parents.
- wangle somebody something He had wangled her a seat on the plane.
Word Originlate 19th cent. (first recorded as printers' slang): of unknown origin; perhaps based on the verb waggle.