as in to fight
to seize and attempt to unbalance one another for the purpose of achieving physical mastery
the sisters wrestled on the floor over the last cookie
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to contemplate
to give serious and careful thought to
I've been wrestling with the idea of switching careers for quite some time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wrestle
Jude Joffe-Block, NPR, 31 Jan. 2026
The heaviest Burmese python caught in Florida, a 215-pound beast, was wrestled from heavy cover just west of Big Cypress by biologists Ian Bartoszek and Ian Easterling of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2026
But there is certainly a reason to be optimistic about that given that both Daniel Bryan and Edge were ultimately given the greenlight to wrestle in WWE after similar injuries.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The tourism town of Natchez, wrestling with difficult histories, presents a microcosm for the wider United States.
—Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wrestle
Verb
A number of agents jumped out and wrestled him to the ground.
—Jude Joffe-Block, NPR, 31 Jan. 2026
The heaviest Burmese python caught in Florida, a 215-pound beast, was wrestled from heavy cover just west of Big Cypress by biologists Ian Bartoszek and Ian Easterling of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2026
But there is certainly a reason to be optimistic about that given that both Daniel Bryan and Edge were ultimately given the greenlight to wrestle in WWE after similar injuries.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The tourism town of Natchez, wrestling with difficult histories, presents a microcosm for the wider United States.
—Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wrestle
Cite this Entry
“Wrestle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrestle. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
