Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense wrestles, present participle wrestling, past tense, past participle wrestled
1. verb
When you wrestlewith a difficult problem, you try to deal with it.
Delegates wrestled with the problems of violence and sanctions. [VERB + with]
We're wrestling with a recession. [VERBwith noun]
What he liked to do was to take an idea and wrestle it by finding every possibleconsequence. [VERB noun]
2. verb
If you wrestle with someone, you fight them by forcing them into painful positions or throwing them to the ground, rather than by hitting them. Some people wrestle as a sport.
They taught me to wrestle. [VERB]
The bridesmaids and pageboys squealed and wrestled with each other in the garden. [VERBwith noun]
[Also VERB noun]
Synonyms: fight, battle, struggle, combat More Synonyms of wrestle
3. verb
If you wrestle a person or thing somewhere, you move them there using a lot of force, for example by twisting a part of someone's body into a painful position.
We had to physically wrestle the child from the man's arms. [VERB noun preposition]
The stationmaster pounced and wrestled the gun from him. [VERB noun preposition]
Marshals tried to wrestle the demonstrator out of the room. [VERB noun preposition]
4. See also wrestling
wrestle in British English
(ˈrɛsəl)
verb
1.
to fight (another person) by holding, throwing, etc, without punching with the closed fist
2. (intransitive)
to participate in wrestling
3. (whenintr, foll by with or against)
to fight with (a person, problem, or thing)
wrestle with one's conscience
4. (transitive)
to move laboriously, as with wrestling movements
5. (transitive) US and Canadian
to throw (an animal) for branding
noun
6.
the act of wrestling
7.
a struggle or tussle
Derived forms
wrestler (ˈwrestler)
noun
Word origin
Old English wræstlian; related to Middle Dutch wrastelen (Dutch worstelen), Old Norse rost current, race
wrestle in American English
(ˈrɛsəl; often ˈræsəl)
verb intransitiveWord forms: ˈwrestled or ˈwrestling
1.
to struggle hand to hand with an opponent in an attempt to throw or force him or her to the ground without striking blows
2.
to struggle (with a problem, an opposing force, etc.)
to wrestle with one's conscience
3.
to struggle (with) in attempting to handle, maneuver, or manipulate something
to wrestle with a canvas sail in a storm
4.
to engage in the sport of wrestling
verb transitive
5.
to struggle or fight with by wrestling; wrestle with
6.
to move, lift, maneuver, etc. with great physical effort
to wrestle a boulder into place
7. US
in the W U.S., to throw (a calf, etc.) for branding
noun
8.
the action of wrestling; wrestling bout
9.
a struggle or contest
Derived forms
wrestler (ˈwrestler)
noun
Word origin
ME wrestlen, wrastlen < OE wræstlian, freq. of wræstan, to twist: see wrest
Examples of 'wrestle' in a sentence
wrestle
He was wrestled to the ground by a royal protection officer before being sent on his way.
The Sun (2016)
It was like a war, like a wrestling match at times.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
If this seems weak, reflect on the issues you've wrestled with during the past two weeks.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Saracens can flex their muscles and, once they have you caught in an arm wrestle, they have you where they want you.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
War forces us to wrestle with the mystery of evil.
Christianity Today (2000)
Those two pilots physically wrestled the plane down with all four legs straining at the brakes.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
He wants to fight and wrestle me all the time!
The Sun (2013)
He will struggle to wrestle the lead away from my tip.
The Sun (2011)
We used to wrestle with the problems of a society divided by class.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
What followed was more wrestling match than test of footballing ability.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The assailant was reportedly wrestled to the ground by a passing motorist.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
This is followed by two hours of conditioning work and then two hours of wrestling.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
It took a lot of wrangling and arm wrestling before we landed upon our final five.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
He produced a lighter but was wrestled to the ground by staff and arrested.
The Sun (2015)
The two dog handlers wrestle on the road at park royal with the young man.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
And the more he wrestled with the idea, the more it grew on him.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
This is not the world of wrestling with the forces of darkness so much as having thewisdom and the insight to change.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
We struggled with their wrestling style of tackling and didn't adapt quickly enough.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
It is common to see the book of Job as wrestling with the problem of innocent suffering.
Marcus J. Borg READING THE BIBLE AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME: Taking the Bible Seriously but Not Literally. (2001)
For months she had wrestled with the idea of coming back, searching for a definitive reason to say yes or no.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
I wrestled with the idea of the responsibility: but what difference would one more little mouth make?
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
After a few weeks my son seems hardly to miss me at all, taking great delight in having a man around to wrestle and fight with.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Numerous failed business ventures followed and he ended his days bankrupt, forced into wrestling matches for 25 a bout.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
In other languages
wrestle
British English: wrestle VERB
When you wrestle with a difficult problem, you try to deal with it.
Delegates wrestled with the problems of violence and sanctions.