wrestle

1 of 2

verb

wres·​tle ˈre-səl How to pronounce wrestle (audio) ˈra- How to pronounce wrestle (audio)
wrestled; wrestling ˈre-sliŋ How to pronounce wrestle (audio)
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 How to pronounce wrestle (audio)
ˈra-;
ˈre-sᵊl-ər
ˈra-
noun

wrestle

2 of 2

noun

: the action or an instance of wrestling : struggle
especially : a wrestling bout

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
That’s the question investors have wrestled with since the Magnificent Seven tech stocks began turbocharging a powerful market rally last year. Krystal Hur, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 Some parents didn’t want their daughters wrestling boys. Marc Levy, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Mar. 2024 Along the way, the foursome is still wrestling with the toxicity of how they were sexualized and treated in their youth. Esther Zuckerman, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 The sublimity of the Creation story, the strangeness of Jacob wrestling with an angel (or maybe God himself), Abraham’s fearful vision of darkness — all of these are here, but briefly, sideshows to her main focus, which is on Genesis as a close-up account of one human clan. Francis Spufford, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 The debate has made its way into the halls of the California Legislature, which has wrestled between increasing penalties for fatal drug sales and offering more resources and treatment for people whose addictions help fuel the fentanyl economy. Scooty Nickerson, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024 Businesses the world over are wrestling with two conflicting priorities. David Prosser, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 As pharma companies wrestle with how and when to use wearables and other digital technologies to measure how their experimental drugs impact patients, clinical research giant Icon has acquired HumanFirst, which helps companies answer exactly those sorts of questions. Mario Aguilar, STAT, 29 Feb. 2024 Robert Platt Poway Boys wrestling Roaring to his second consecutive state championship, this one at 215 pounds, Platt scored a 2-1 decision to help lead the Titans to a record-setting 290.5 points and their fourth team title. Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2024

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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of wrestle was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near wrestle

Cite this Entry

“Wrestle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wrestle. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wrestle

1 of 2 verb
wres·​tle ˈres-əl How to pronounce wrestle (audio)
wrestled; wrestling -(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce wrestle (audio)
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 noun

wrestle

2 of 2 noun
: the action or an instance of wrestling

More from Merriam-Webster on wrestle

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