wangle

/ˈwæŋgəl/

Other forms: wangled; wangles

Wangle means to get something through deception or devious coaxing, like the time you tried to wangle your way into a concert by pretending to be the singer's sister.

Wangle, which rhymes with tangle is similar in meaning to manipulate, although wangle has a more informal feel. The word's playful sound hints at its origin — it came into English as slang. In the 1880s it was coined by British printers who used their skills to wangle, or fake, an image to look like something else. That tradition endures today with untrustworthy magazines that wangle photos of celebrities to deceive readers.

Definitions of wangle

1. noun

   an instance of accomplishing something by scheming or trickery
   synonyms: wangling

   type of:

   contrivance, dodge, stratagem

   an elaborate or deceitful scheme contrived to deceive or evade
2. verb

   achieve something by means of trickery or devious methods
   synonyms: finagle, manage, wrangle

   type of:

   accomplish, achieve, attain, reach

   gain with effort
3. verb

   tamper, with the purpose of deception
   synonyms: cook, fake, falsify, fudge, manipulate, misrepresent

   types:

   juggle

   manipulate by or as if by moving around components

   type of:

   cheat, chisel

   engage in deceitful behavior; practice trickery or fraud