wrestle

1 of 2

verb

wres·​tle ˈre-səl  ˈra- 

wrestled; wrestling ˈre-sliŋ 

ˈra-;

ˈre-sᵊl-iŋ,

ˈra-

intransitive verb

1

: to contend by grappling with and striving to trip or throw an opponent down or off balance

2

: to combat an opposing tendency or force

wrestling with his conscience

3

: to engage in deep thought, consideration, or debate

4

: to engage in or as if in a violent or determined struggle

wrestling with cumbersome luggage

transitive verb

1

a

: to engage in (a match, bout, or fall) in wrestling

b

: to wrestle with

wrestle an alligator

2

: to move, maneuver, or force with difficulty

wrestler

ˈre-slər 

ˈra-;

ˈre-sᵊl-ər

ˈra-

noun

wrestle

2 of 2

noun

: the action or an instance of wrestling : struggle

especially : a wrestling bout

Synonyms

Verb

• grapple
• rassle
• scuffle
• tussle

Examples of wrestle in a Sentence

Verb

They'll be wrestling each other for the championship.

They'll be wrestling with each other for the championship.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Retail Media’s Measurement Challenges The retail media industry has wrestled with measurement standardization since its inception, with brands often frustrated by inconsistent approaches across different retailers. —Kiri Masters, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025

Over his nearly 32-year career, Homicide wrestled for nearly every major promotion, with the notable exception of WWE. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025

Lowe was wrestling his dog to the ground for nearly 10 minutes before first responders arrived. —Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 18 Mar. 2025

During her sophomore season, Carr wrestled girls from schools in the West Suburban Conference Gold Division, along with competing in some girls tournaments. —Chuck Fieldman, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English wrastlen, wrestlen, from Old English wrǣstlian, frequentative of wrǣstan

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1593, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing wrestle

• Indian-wrestle

Rhymes for wrestle

• cresol
• decile
• nestle
• pestle
• sessile
• trestle
• vessel
• wessel
• subsessile

Kids Definition

wrestle

1 of 2 verb

wres·​tle ˈres-əl 

wrestled; wrestling -(ə-)liŋ 

1

: to struggle with and try to throw down an opponent

2

: to compete against in wrestling

3

: to struggle for control (as of something difficult)

wrestler

ˈres-lər 

noun

wrestle

2 of 2 noun

: the action or an instance of wrestling