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Synonyms

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.

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of wrestling

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

What I am wrestling with is an essay not just written by A.I. but poorly imagined by A.I.

From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026

One of the men, Saleh Mohammadi, was a 19-year-old member of the national wrestling team.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

Among the men was teenager Saleh Mohammadi, a member of Iran's national wrestling team, sources have told CBS, the BBC's US partner.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

Sterger said she’s seen a lot of character work fall flat, even in the “big leagues” when it comes to wrestling, just because they didn’t know how to be a convincing storyteller.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

I could tell he knew I was wrestling with that temper of mine again, ’cause he changed the subject and just said, “Well, that’s good that you got a letter.”

From "Wish" by Barbara O'Connor

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.