as in bickering
to express different opinions about something often angrily
a town meeting at which local residents wrangled for hours about property taxes
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Recent Examples of wrangling
Filmmakers, artisans and creatives must balance their time between making art and completing busywork, such as reviewing feedback, wrangling files and sharing footage with stakeholders.
—
Caitlin White, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026
But he was also quickly impeached following wrangling with opposition lawmakers over his refusal to fill vacant seats at the Constitutional Court, which was deliberating whether to formally throw Yoon out of office.
—CNN Money, 22 Jan. 2026
Multiple outlets have reported the departures of several top prosecutors in the wake of the federal wrangling over who should investigate the shooting.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 15 Jan. 2026
Flat funding Eyeing the NASA budget wrangling situation is Jack Kiraly, director of government relations for The Planetary Society, an independent space advocacy group.
—Leonard David, Space.com, 12 Jan. 2026
But there was plenty of wrangling ahead.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Legal wrangling ahead of the trial had stretched out over 14 months, while lawyers and law-enforcement agents pored over hundreds of pages of filings, reports, and statements, and watched scores of video clips.
—Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Companies will also be wrangling with policy headwinds such as tariffs and the normalization of the base rate, as well as how consumer spending will hold up through the rest of the year.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2025
In a way, Robertson and Johnson have been wrangling these kinds of connections for their patients for years.
—Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 17 Dec. 2025
Caitlin White, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026
But he was also quickly impeached following wrangling with opposition lawmakers over his refusal to fill vacant seats at the Constitutional Court, which was deliberating whether to formally throw Yoon out of office.
—CNN Money, 22 Jan. 2026
Multiple outlets have reported the departures of several top prosecutors in the wake of the federal wrangling over who should investigate the shooting.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 15 Jan. 2026
Flat funding Eyeing the NASA budget wrangling situation is Jack Kiraly, director of government relations for The Planetary Society, an independent space advocacy group.
—Leonard David, Space.com, 12 Jan. 2026
But there was plenty of wrangling ahead.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Legal wrangling ahead of the trial had stretched out over 14 months, while lawyers and law-enforcement agents pored over hundreds of pages of filings, reports, and statements, and watched scores of video clips.
—Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Companies will also be wrangling with policy headwinds such as tariffs and the normalization of the base rate, as well as how consumer spending will hold up through the rest of the year.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2025
In a way, Robertson and Johnson have been wrangling these kinds of connections for their patients for years.
—Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 17 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrangling
Verb
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The choice not to pick a team has left fans bickering with each other.—
Mike Sullivan,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
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Much of the comedy in this action-comedy arrives via barbed exchanges between the constantly bickering James and Jonny.—
Richard Kuipers,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Generally, the judges who’ve released detainees say the federal government is wrongly arguing that a statute that historically applied to migrants caught at the border can be applied to anyone seeking to gain legal status to remain in the United States.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
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In 2014, the New York Times published a six-part series arguing for a repeal on the federal marijuana ban, comparing the government’s treatment of cannabis to the prohibition on alcohol in the 1920s.—
Elaine Mallon,
Baltimore Sun,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Just a player who’s like fighting and clawing to play versus looking for a reason maybe not to.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
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Now, Mendoza tells CNN, the couple is no longer fighting to remain the United States.—
Susana Erazo,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Her father, after quarreling with Antigone’s mother, locked her out of their house overnight, which led to a terrible accident.—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
The Atlantic,
5 Jan. 2026
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Lydon’s revelation comes after years of quarreling with guitarist Steve Jones, bassist Glen Matlock, and drummer Paul Cook.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
30 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wrangling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrangling. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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