Definition

1. Verb:

   • To achieve or obtain something through clever manipulation, scheming, or trickery, often in a skillful or artful way.
   • To manipulate or falsify something (like data or facts) in a dishonest or deceptive manner.

2. Noun:

   • An act or instance of achieving something by scheming or trickery; a clever but often dishonest maneuver.

Examples

• Verb:

  • He managed to wangle an invitation to the exclusive party.
  • She wangled the data to make the results look more favorable.
  • Don't try to wangle your way out of this responsibility.

• Noun:

  • Getting that promotion was a real wangle; I'm not sure how he did it.
  • The whole deal was a clever wangle, but it felt dishonest.

Advanced Usage

• "to wangle something out of someone": to cleverly or deceptively persuade someone to give you something.

  • He wangled a free lunch out of his boss.

• "to wangle one's way into/out of something": to use clever or deceitful methods to enter or escape a situation.

  • She wangled her way into the meeting even though she wasn't on the list.

Variants and Related Words

• Wangler (noun): A person who wangles things.
  • He's a skilled wangler when it comes to getting extra resources.

Synonyms

• Finagle: To achieve something by cleverness or trickery (very similar in meaning and usage).
• Manipulate: To control or influence something or someone cleverly, unfairly, or unscrupulously.
• Fudge: To present or deal with something in a vague or inadequate way, especially to misrepresent or falsify slightly.

Related Phrasal Verbs

(Note: "Wangle" is not commonly used with particles to form standard phrasal verbs. Its usage is typically as shown in the "Advanced Usage" section with prepositions like "out of" or "into.")

Related Idioms

• "To pull a fast one": To successfully deceive or trick someone. This idiom shares the connotation of clever trickery found in "wangle."
  • He pulled a fast one to get the contract.

Noun

1. an instance of accomplishing something by scheming or trickery

Verb

1. tamper, with the purpose of deception
   • Fudge the figures
   • cook the books
   • falsify the data
2. achieve something by means of trickery or devious methods