wrestle

play

verb wres·tle \ˈre-səl, ˈra-\

Definition of wrestle

wrestled

;

wrestling

play \ˈres-liŋ, ˈras-; ˈre-s^əl-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
1a : to engage in (a match, bout, or fall) in wrestlingb : to wrestle with wrestle an alligator
2 : to move, maneuver, or force with difficulty

wrestler

play \ˈre-slər, ˈra-; ˈre-s^əl-ər, ˈra-\ noun

See wrestle defined for English-language learners

See wrestle defined for kids

Examples of wrestle in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of wrestle from the Web

Several officers then wrestled Narromore to the ground and were eventually able to detain him.

— thomas novelly, The Courier-Journal, "Ky GOP official accused of indecent exposure in Tennessee department store," 19 July 2017
A group of brave men and women who are armed with a new vision and mission to conquer the hearts of wrestling fans in Florida and the United States.

— posted jim varsallone, miamiherald, "Lucha Conquest: A historic night in Florida in July," 16 July 2017
In many ways, Labor has been fighting back ever since, rarely wrestling control from Likud.

— aron heller, The Seattle Times, "Israel’s Labor Party looks to rebrand with leadership vote," 5 July 2017
In many ways, Labor has been fighting back ever since, rarely wrestling control from Likud.

— aron heller, Jewish Journal, "Israel's Labor Party looks to rebrand with leadership vote," 5 July 2017
The president’s tweet of a stupid wrestling video depicting himself bludgeoning CNN wasn’t a threat of violence against journalists.

— jonah goldberg, National Review, "Trump’s Relationship with Media Is Co-dependent," 4 July 2017
The boy was shot in the clavicle while Slaughter tried to wrestle the gun away from Townsell, according to prosecutors.

— nereida moreno, chicagotribune.com, "Man charged with shooting 11-year-old boy, killing boy's stepfather," 2 July 2017
Wrestling fans have responded to his gun-control rants by fondling their pistols in the stands.

— jeffrey lee puckett, The Courier-Journal, "Hated and happy: Kentucky wrestler The Progressive Liberal is both hero and villain," 29 June 2017
Golf’s authorities have wrestled with how to align Trump’s series of controversial comments with the concept of an inclusive sport.

— james hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Pragmatic Koch network treads carefully around Trump, plays inside game to advance agenda," 26 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wrestle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of wrestle

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

wrestle

noun wres·tle

Definition of wrestle

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

First Known Use of wrestle

1593

WRESTLE Defined for English Language Learners

wrestle

play

verb

Definition of wrestle for English Language Learners

: to fight (someone) by holding and pushing instead of by hitting, kicking, or punching
: to fight in the sport of wrestling
: to struggle to move, deal with, or control something

WRESTLE Defined for Kids

wrestle

play

verb wres·tle \ˈre-səl\

Definition of wrestle for Students

wrestled

;

wrestling

1 : to fight by grasping and attempting to turn, trip, or throw down an opponent or to prevent the opponent from being able to move
2 : to struggle to deal with He's wrestling with a problem.