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embobiner

to wind round, to bamboozle

verb ahm-boh-bee-NEH Rare

Usage Note

Embobiner literally means to wind something onto a bobbin (bobine), but in everyday speech it almost always means 'to con someone', 'to wrap someone around your finger' — 'il m'a embobiné' ('he pulled the wool over my eyes'). It is informal and mildly pejorative; manipuler is the neutral equivalent.

Examples

"Elle a réussi à m'embobiner complètement."

Natural Translation

She managed to completely bamboozle me.

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