Word
wrangling
Phoneticswran·gling
US/ˈɹæŋɡəɫɪŋ/
UK/ɹˈæŋɡəlɪŋ/
Uncountable noun
Definition
n. a long argument about something, often loud and angry and hard to finish.
n. a prolonged and often heated dispute or negotiation, typically over policy, legal details, or control.
Examples
“The meeting ends in loud wrangling over money.”
“After weeks of political wrangling, the council finally agrees on the new housing plan.”
“Despite months of legal wrangling that drained both budgets and patience, the two firms settled quietly the week before trial.”
Examples
simple
“The meeting ends in loud wrangling over money.”
contextual
“After weeks of political wrangling, the council finally agrees on the new housing plan.”
complex
“Despite months of legal wrangling that drained both budgets and patience, the two firms settled quietly the week before trial.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “wrangling” in context.
Verb
01. avoid wrangling
“To avoid wrangling, they asked a mediator to chair the meeting.”
verb + noun
02. end wrangling
“Party leaders met to end wrangling over the candidate list.”
verb + noun
03. engage in wrangling
“Instead of solving the problem, they engaged in wrangling over blame.”
verb + prep + noun
Adjective
04. bitter wrangling
“Bitter wrangling between the owners delayed the sale of the club for months.”
adj + noun
05. endless wrangling
“The committee was exhausted by endless wrangling over the new rules.”
adj + noun
06. internal wrangling
“Internal wrangling within the party weakened its election campaign.”
adj + noun
07. legal wrangling
“Legal wrangling over the will kept the family in court for two years.”
adj + noun
Noun
08. end to wrangling
“The court ruling finally put an end to wrangling over custody.”
noun + prep + noun
09. after months of wrangling
“After months of wrangling, the council approved the housing plan.”
10. bitter wrangling over the budget
“Bitter wrangling over the budget shut down city services for a week.”
11. get bogged down in wrangling
“Negotiations got bogged down in wrangling over minor details.”
12. legal wrangling over custody
“The divorce led to years of legal wrangling over custody.”
Real-World Examples
“After years of legal wrangling, the Lake County judge overseeing the suit ruled last fall that the retailers and manufacturers who are defendants in the case must comply with the city’s requests to turn over decades of internal records as part of a legal process known as discovery.” “Legal wrangling over the Godfather of Soul’s estate has been ongoing since his death at the age of 73 on Christmas Day 2006.” Etymology
From Middle English wranglyng, wranglinge, equivalent to wrangle + -ing.
From wrangle + -ing.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Word family
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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