wrestle

wrestle — verb

1. to take part in a sport or fight in which two people hold each other's bodies an

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to take part in a sport or fight in which two people hold each other's bodies and try to force each other to fall to the ground

Example

Sayaka wrestled her older brother for fun in the backyard every Sunday afternoon.

wrestle + someone + for + reason

The two athletes will wrestle each other in the championship match next weekend.

wrestle + each other (reciprocal)

Common collocations
  • wrestle someone
  • wrestle with someone
  • wrestle for a title
  • wrestle in a match
Synonyms
  • grapple

    emphasises the close holding and gripping more than the sport context

  • fight

    broader in meaning; covers any physical conflict, not a rules-based sport

Grammar Patterns

wrestle + someone (now she will wrestle the champion)

wrestle + with + someone (he wrestled with his brother)

wrestle + for + prize (they wrestled for the gold medal)

Usage Note

This sense can be used either transitively (wrestle someone) or intransitively (wrestle with someone). In competitive sports contexts, the transitive form is more common.

Common Mistakes

He wrestled against her in the match.
He wrestled her in the match.
'wrestle' usually does not need 'against'; the opponent is the direct object.
They wrestled boxing style.
They wrestled using wrestling techniques.
'wrestle' is a specific sport, not a synonym for any kind of fight.

2. to use a lot of physical effort to move or control something that is heavy, awkw

2.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to use a lot of physical effort to move or control something that is heavy, awkward, or hard to handle

Example

Mert wrestled with the old sofa for an hour before getting it through the doorway.

wrestle with + object for + duration

Ezra wrestled the heavy suitcase onto the luggage rack above his seat on the train.

wrestle + object + onto + place

Common collocations
  • wrestle with a suitcase
  • wrestle something into place
  • wrestle something through a door
  • wrestle with a lid
Synonyms
  • struggle

    more general; 'wrestle with' is more specific to physical objects that resist movement

  • manoeuvre

    suggests skill and precision rather than raw effort; more formal

Grammar Patterns

wrestle + with + something heavy/difficult (he wrestled with the suitcase)

wrestle + object + into/onto + place (she wrestled the box onto the shelf)

Usage Note

Unlike sense 1 (PHYSICAL SPORT), this sense is almost always intransitive and takes 'with' before the object, or uses a transitive pattern with a directional particle (into, onto, through).

Common Mistakes

He wrestled the heavy bag' (dropping the directional context).
He wrestled the heavy bag onto the scale.
this sense usually requires a destination or result phrase to be clear.

3. to try hard for some time to solve a problem, answer a question, or make a diffi

3.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to try hard for some time to solve a problem, answer a question, or make a difficult personal choice

Example

Eliska wrestled with the maths problem for two hours before finding the correct answer.

wrestle with + problem + for + duration

The committee wrestled over the budget cuts late into the night without reaching an agreement.

wrestle over + decision matter

Common collocations
  • wrestle with a problem
  • wrestle with a decision
  • wrestle with one's conscience
  • wrestle over an issue
  • wrestle with a question
Synonyms
  • struggle

    broader and more emotional; 'wrestle with' emphasises sustained mental effort over time

  • grapple

    very similar in meaning; 'grapple with' is slightly more formal

  • contend

    more formal; often used for competing ideas or political positions

Antonyms
  • accept

    to stop resisting and agree, the opposite of wrestling with a decision

Grammar Patterns

wrestle + with + a problem/question (she wrestled with the difficult question)

wrestle + over + a decision (they wrestled over whether to move abroad)

Usage Note

This is the most common sense of 'wrestle' in everyday language. It is always intransitive and takes 'with' or 'over'. The subject is typically a person or group; the object of the struggle is an abstract thing such as a problem, question, decision, or moral issue.

wrestle — noun

Word family

  • wrestler
    nounB1
  • wrestling
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/3

All four verbs describe dealing with something difficult, but they differ in duration, formality, and intensity. 'Wrestle with' suggests a long, deliberate mental effort — you wrestle with a problem over days or weeks, turning it over in your mind. 'Struggle with' is broader and often more emotional or sudden; you can struggle with feelings of guilt or struggle to understand a concept in the middle of a class. 'Grapple with' is closer to 'wrestle with' in implying sustained effort, but sounds slightly more formal and is common in academic or journalistic writing ('the country continues to grapple with inflation'). 'Contend with' is the most formal of the four and implies facing an obstacle or opposing force rather than an internal puzzle ('teachers contend with large class sizes'). In casual conversation, 'wrestle with' and 'struggle with' are the most natural choices for everyday problems and decisions.

wrestle (with)struggle (with)grapple (with)contend (with)

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • a wrestle with
  • to wrestle one's way through
  • a long wrestle

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

'Wrestle' comes from the Old English word 'wrǣstlian' meaning 'to wrestle', which traces back to a Germanic root related to twisting or turning. The word is related to 'wrest' (to twist or pull away by force) and shares ancient Indo-European origins with words meaning 'to turn' or 'to bend'. The sport of wrestling has been practised across cultures for thousands of years, and the metaphorical sense of struggling with a problem developed in the 1600s.