wangle

IPA/ˈwæŋɡl/
KK[wˈæŋɡəl]IPA/ˈwæŋɡl/

wangle — verb

  • wanglepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • wangleshe / she / it
  • wangledpast simple
  • wangling-ing form

1. to obtain or achieve something by using persuasion, clever planning, or methods

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

to obtain or achieve something by using persuasion, clever planning, or methods that are not completely honest

例句

Mateo wangled free tickets to the music festival from a radio station producer.

wangle + object + from + [person]

Lakshmi wangled herself a place in the highly competitive summer internship programme.

wangle + indirect object + direct object

同義詞
  • finagle

    very similar but slightly stronger on the dishonest side; more common in American English

  • contrive

    more neutral — can be clever without being dishonest; slightly more formal

  • manoeuvre

    emphasises the skilful planning behind the action; can be neutral or positive

反義詞
  • earn

    obtain through honest work rather than scheming

  • deserve

    be worthy of something without needing trickery

文法句型

wangle + noun phrase

wangle + noun phrase + from + noun phrase

wangle + possessive + way + into/out of + noun phrase

用法筆記

Always informal. Often implies the thing obtained was difficult or impossible to get through normal, honest channels.

常見錯誤

❌He wangled a job by submitting a strong application.
✅He wangled a job by calling the hiring manager every day until she gave in.
💡'wangle' is only used when the method involves cleverness or slight dishonesty, not ordinary effort.

2. to change information, numbers, or records in a dishonest way in order to gain a

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

to change information, numbers, or records in a dishonest way in order to gain an advantage for yourself

例句

The accountant was caught wangling the sales figures to make the company look profitable.

wangle + financial figures

Bilal suspected someone had wangled the election results during the final count.

passive: had wangled + election results

同義詞
  • falsify

    more formal and more serious; often used in legal contexts

  • doctor

    informal like 'wangle', but slightly broader — can mean adding as well as changing

  • manipulate

    more neutral; can be positive (manipulate data in a spreadsheet) or negative

反義詞
  • correct

    fix mistakes rather than create them

  • verify

    check that information is accurate

文法句型

wangle + noun phrase (figures, results, accounts)

用法筆記

Always informal. Typically describes tampering with financial data, statistics, records, or test results. Distinguish from Sense 1: Sense 1 is about obtaining something; Sense 2 is about altering something that already exists.

常見錯誤

❌The company wangled the new policy to help customers.
✅The company wangled the financial reports to hide the loss.
💡Sense 2 is only about dishonest alteration, not about improving or adjusting something in a positive way.