wrestling

noun

wres·​tling ˈre-sliŋ 

ˈra-;

ˈre-sᵊl-iŋ, 

ˈra-

: a sport or contest in which two unarmed individuals struggle hand to hand with each attempting to subdue or unbalance the other

Examples of wrestling in a Sentence

My favorite sport is wrestling.

He was on the wrestling team in high school.

Recent Examples on the Web

So, to be inside the very building where all this wrestling magic has been created for generations? —Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 26 Feb. 2026

McMahon bought what was then the World Wrestling Federation in 1982 and transformed it from a regional wrestling company into a worldwide phenomenon. —Dallas Morning News, 26 Feb. 2026

Athletic director Steve Lawson is the former wrestling coach and a lower-level football coach at El Dorado for Bailey. —Dan Albano, Oc Register, 25 Feb. 2026

The tendency to look to Mongolia to fill this quota owed as much to that country’s own folk-wrestling traditions as to an abundance of eager young candidates willing to endure years of grueling apprenticeship and language study. —Joshua Hunt, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing wrestling

• arm wrestling
• Indian wrestling
• wrist wrestling

Kids Definition

wrestling

noun

wres·​tling ˈres-liŋ 

: the sport in which two contestants wrestle each other