Synonyms of wrestle

wrestle 1 of 2

verb (1)

ˈre-səl 

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

• fight
• grapple
• brawl
• tussle
• battle
• contend
• rassle
• scuffle
• combat
• hit
• duel
• punch
• war (against)
• strike
• skirmish
• clash (with)
• box
• beat
• slug
• spar
• bash
• buffet
• batter

wrestle (with)

2 of 2

verb (2)

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

• contemplate
• consider
• ponder
• debate
• entertain
• study
• think (about or over)
• mull (over)
• question
• pore (over)
• eye
• chew on
• weigh
• explore
• review
• chew over
• look at
• analyze
• kick around
• meditate
• deliberate
• ruminate
• cogitate
• perpend
• revolve
• beat one's brains out (about)
• cudgel one's brains (about)
• muse (upon)
• turn
• reflect (on or upon)
• brood (about or over)
• fret (about or over)
• dwell (on or upon)
• digest
• drink (in)
• speculate (about)
• obsess (about or over)
• fixate (on or upon)
• believe
• reminisce
• reason
• conclude
• absorb
• opine
• conceive
• assimilate
• second-guess

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ignore
• slight
• disregard
• overlook
• reject
• dismiss
• pooh-pooh

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of wrestle

Verb

And an age where NBA teams still played inside-out, throwing the ball to big men inside, who decided what would happen next, 10 players wrestling with one another in the paint. —The Athletic Nba Staff, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025

But my hands were typically in my pockets wrestling with lint. —Davon Loeb, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025

Convenient pull tabs on the tongue and heel make these a breeze to slip on and off without wrestling over the laces, which are otherwise easy to tighten and secure. —Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 8 Nov. 2025

The justices’ intervention on Friday highlights the Court’s growing role in mediating the boundaries of executive authority over entitlement spending, as Washington continues to wrestle with how best to balance fiscal discipline and social welfare amid rising costs. —Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025

Phrases Containing wrestle

• wrestle (with)