wrestling

American  

[res-ling] / ˈrɛs lɪŋ /

noun

1. a sport in which two opponents struggle hand to hand in order to pin or press each other's shoulders to the mat or ground, with the style, rules, and regulations differing widely in amateur and professional matches.

2. the act of a person who wrestles.

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wrestling British  

/ ˈrɛslɪŋ /

noun

1. any of certain sports in which the contestants fight each other according to various rules governing holds and usually forbidding blows with the closed fist. The principal object is to overcome the opponent either by throwing or pinning him to the ground or by causing him to submit See freestyle Graeco-Roman sumo

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Etymology

Origin of wrestling

before 1100; Middle English; Old English wrǣstlunge. See wrestle, -ing ¹

Explanation

Wrestling is a sport in which two athletes compete to see who can hold the other down, using specific moves. If you enjoy grappling with your brother, pinning each other to the couch, you might want to take up wrestling. Wrestling is one of the oldest sports, dating back to the ancient Babylonians and Egyptians. The original Greek Olympics included a brutal, violent form of wrestling. If you watch or participate in high school or college wrestling, you know that these days, it's a highly controlled, athletic sport. So-called professional wrestling, on the other hand, is mainly a form of entertainment, featuring gaudy costumes and elaborately choreographed moves.

Example Sentences

Not just the goals that have been scored, but the constant grappling, pushing, pulling and wrestling.

From BBC • May 11, 2026

“And I think we did have a conversation about wrestling with leadership, but settling into it, wanting to maintain it, hadn’t been quite defined.”

From Salon • May 11, 2026

In wrestling parlance, a “receipt” refers to retribution for a perceived slight or unnecessary use of physical force during a match.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

Ben Sasse: I started wrestling year-round, sophomore year, but I was football and wrestling growing up and wanted to be a football player and was never good enough.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

“Thank you. I’m wrestling with a very personal quandary, you see. I’ve received a message that I don’t quite understand. It’s simply a word, but I don’t think the word itself is the message.”

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• judo
• karate