wrangler

noun

wran·​gler ˈraŋ-g(ə-)lər How to pronounce wrangler (audio)
1
: a bickering disputant
2
[short for horse-wrangler, probably partial translation of Mexican Spanish caballerango groom] : a ranch hand who takes care of the saddle horses
broadly : cowboy

Examples of wrangler in a Sentence

a rough-hewn wrangler who never says much known as a petty, unrelenting wrangler who likes argument for the sake of argument
Recent Examples on the Web There’s Enzo the seasoned wrangler of egos, shuffling and reshuffling his talented drivers (well played by actors like Patrick Dempsey, Jack O’Connell and Gabriel Leone) in a nimble game of musical cars. Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2023 Being a snake wrangler has resulted in Rob getting bitten by countless snakes and one of them was even venomous. Alamin Yohannes, EW.com, 7 Aug. 2023 Now everyone, including lighting gaffers, carpenters, production assistants, wardrobe, hair and makeup artists, zombie extras, gun wranglers, and all who bring movies and TV to life or not can go to work again. Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 12 Nov. 2023 Early in his career, Gilbert was a horse wrangler in William Wyler’s Ben-Hur (1959) and a bank robber in Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch (1969). Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Feb. 2024 De Mille’s ballet follows a cowgirl who falls for the head wrangler on a ranch. Steven Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2023 Sheena Graves, a Hollywood horse wrangler, mills around in serious-looking leather boots. Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2023 Government lawyers said in court filings Monday the horse advocates are trying to inflame emotions with photos and videos of injured mustangs trying to flee helicopters and wranglers on horseback. The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 Aug. 2023 Fresh from his horse wrangler film Ride On, Jackie Chan has lined up an action comedy flick centering on baby pandas. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wrangler.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1510, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wrangler was circa 1510

Dictionary Entries Near wrangler

Cite this Entry

“Wrangler.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wrangler. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wrangler

noun
wran·​gler ˈraŋ-g(ə-)lər How to pronounce wrangler (audio)
1
: a person who quarrels
2
: a ranch hand who takes care of the saddle horses

More from Merriam-Webster on wrangler

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!