wrestles; wrestled; wrestling
1
a
: to fight (someone) by holding and pushing instead of by hitting, kicking, or punching
She wrestled him to the ground. [=she held on to him and forced him to fall to the ground]
—usually + withShe wrestled with her attacker.
b
: to fight in the sport of wrestling
They'll be wrestling each other for the championship.
They'll be wrestling with/against each other for the championship.
I wrestled in high school. [=I was a wrestler in high school]
2
: to struggle to move, deal with, or control something
—+ with
She was wrestling with her luggage as she boarded the plane.
She wrestled with her conscience.
We wrestled with the issue/problem of how to cut costs without laying off workers.
He finally wrestled his drug habit into submission. [=he finally overcame his drug habit]
Cite this Entry
“Wrestle.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/wrestle. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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