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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.

One of them was teenager Saleh Mohammadi, who had only just turned 19 and had taken part in international wrestling competitions.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

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

That leaves central banks wrestling with how to react to keep price growth in check, without putting the brakes on economic activity.

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

There was a struggle, like someone wrestling with something heavy, then a sharp intake of breath, and the smallest rabbit I’d ever seen hopped onto my bed.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia

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.