wrestle

verb

wres·tle | \ ˈre-səl

, ˈra-

wrestled; wrestling\ ˈres-liŋ

, ˈras- ; ˈre-sᵊl-iŋ , ˈra- \

Definition of wrestle

(Entry 1 of 2)

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 wrestling

b : to wrestle with wrestle an alligator

2 : to move, maneuver, or force with difficulty

wrestle

noun

Definition of wrestle (Entry 2 of 2)

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

Other Words from wrestle Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about wrestle

Keep scrolling for more

Synonyms for wrestle

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

There are worthy questions to be asked about Autopilot, especially as the United States government wrestles with how to legislate advanced driver assistance systems and, eventually, autonomous cars. — Sean O'kane, The Verge, "The Verge 2018 tech report card: Tesla," 29 Dec. 2018 That's a slam dunk for the women of wrestling series! — Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, "Sorry, not sorry: The snubs and smart picks of the 2018 Emmy nominations," 12 July 2018 The practice of wrestling clad in leather trousers and oil dates to the Ottoman Empire, and the largest event these days takes place in northwest Turkey. — Washington Post, "AP PHOTOS: Oil wrestling practiced with devotion in Greece," 4 July 2018 Hawk is in talks to start his own marketing agency after nearly four decades of wrestling with others about how skateboarding should be portrayed. — Jacob Feldman, SI.com, "How Does an Action Sports Superstar Age? Tony Hawk Is Figuring It Out on the Fly," 2 July 2018 Stereotyping isn’t the only form of disrespect these gorgeous ladies of wrestling have to battle. — refinery29.com, "Glow Season 2 Review: There’s No Sophomore Slump Here," 21 June 2018 Watching Bill Murray is fun, watching Bill Murray struggle is really fun, and watching Bill Murray caught in a space-time logjam, wrestling with moral philosophy while pursuing Andie MacDowell is the most fun. . — Vogue, "The 55 Best Romantic Comedies of All Time," 1 Feb. 2019 More Badass Planes Most aircraft do not need flight engineers to control engine power levels but managing the heavy engine levers is not practical at the same time as wrestling with the controls, which lack the power assistance of more recent rigs. — David Hambling, Popular Mechanics, "Why the Super Guppy Is Such a Badass Plane," 17 Dec. 2018 Perhaps the toughest questions that fantasy owners wrestle with every year involve the ranking of positions. — Michael Beller, SI.com, "Draft RB or WR in the First Round? That Question Is Far From Simple for Fantasy Football Owners," 2 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

In a sneak peek at Sunday’s episode of Total Bellas, the 34-year-old wrestles with an important question: Who should walk her down the aisle? — Maria Pasquini, PEOPLE.com, "Nikki Bella Questions Who Should Walk Her Down the Aisle in Wedding to John Cena," 22 June 2018 Yet Ms Haspel’s confirmation hearing was less an honest airing of this dilemma than a partisan mud-wrestle. — The Economist, "Gina Haspel, alleged water-boarder, could be the next CIA director," 10 May 2018 But as tensions between the U.S. and China grow, ASEAN is once again caught in the middle of what could be a damaging arm-wrestle between great powers. — Simon Roughneen, latimes.com, "Southeast Asian nations watching China-U.S. trade tiff warily, but reluctant to speak out," 27 Apr. 2018 Their first handshake, a virtual arm-wrestle at an international meeting in Germany last June, produced a globally viral video. — Karen Deyoung, Washington Post, "As Macron arrives to meet Trump, fate of Iran nuclear deal is front and center," 22 Apr. 2018 Their first handshake, a virtual arm-wrestle at an international meeting in Germany last June, produced a globally viral video. — Karen Deyoung, chicagotribune.com, "As Macron arrives to meet Trump, fate of Iran nuclear deal is front and center," 22 Apr. 2018 But in every devastating moment, every existential wrestle, Acevedo sows seeds of beauty and growth. — Katie Ward Beim-esche, The Christian Science Monitor, "YA novel 'The Poet X' is an elegiac meditation on poesy and religion," 23 Mar. 2018 There are two sessions today, beginning at 11 a.m. with wrestle-back semifinals followed by third-, fifth- and seventh-place medal round matches. — Pat Galbincea, cleveland.com, "Penn State-Ohio State, Snyder-Coon cap NCAA Wrestling Championships tonight at The Q (photos)," 17 Mar. 2018 Always losing in the blood round (the round that eliminates a wrestle from podium position). — Adam Baum, Cincinnati.com, "Moeller's Jake Thompson brings state wrestling title back home," 10 Mar. 2018

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.