wrestling

verb

Definition of wrestlingnext
present participle of wrestle
as in fighting
to seize and attempt to unbalance one another for the purpose of achieving physical mastery the sisters wrestled on the floor over the last cookie

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wrestling Growth comes from wrestling with uncertainty long enough to form your own conclusions. — Maria Colacurcio, Fortune, 28 June 2026 Wallace ended up wrestling the gun back from the officer, police said, at which point the officer shot Wallace, police said at the time. — Shardaa Gray, CBS News, 30 June 2026 The Senate is now wrestling with how students — and teachers — might use artificial intelligence in the classroom. — Staff, FOXNews.com, 26 June 2026 Norway Cruise Ports Feel The Pressure That matters at a time when Norway’s cruise industry is wrestling with its own success. — David Nikel, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 Struggling to fit in and wrestling with a rebellious streak, the teen makes one bad decision after another, with his downward trajectory changed by the titular disabled man, played by Oskar Seeman. — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 26 June 2026 Local governments in places like New York City, San Diego, Santa Monica and others have been wrestling with e-bike and e-mobility regulations for years. — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 7 July 2026 Elaine Ferguson, co-founder of W5 Technologies, is wrestling with how to deal with crippling RAM costs and lead times for the communications equipment her company makes for defense contractors. — Kif Leswing, CNBC, 27 June 2026 But as Alex Ovechkin summers back home, wrestling with a decision about whether to lace up the skates for a 22nd NHL season at age 41, the news of what is happening in the American capital must have reached the Russian capital. — Barry Svrluga, New York Times, 26 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrestling
  1. fighting
  2. grappling
  3. brawling
  4. tussling
Verb
  • Police encountered teens fighting, launching fireworks at other people and carrying handguns.
    — Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
  • This serum is great for fading dark spots, boosting collagen production, and fighting visible signs of aging like fine lines and dullness.
    — Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 4 July 2026
Definition of fighting
Verb
  • Red Sox outfielder Nate Eaton, who grabbed Mikolas, leading to the two of them grappling, got a three-game suspension.
    — David Aldridge, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • Financial regulation is struggling to keep pace with the rapid development of artificial intelligence, according to European policymakers, who are grappling with how to support adoption while containing risks to market integrity and stability.
    — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 3 July 2026
Definition of grappling
Verb
  • English soccer fans have earned a reputation for violent hooliganism, hurling plastic chairs and brawling their way across the piazzas and boulevards of Europe.
    — Alexander Smith, NBC news, 3 July 2026
  • And in an age of boorish, brawling Little League Parents®, perhaps there’s a lesson to be learned from our new friends in the horn hats.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 26 June 2026
Definition of brawling
Verb
  • The sheriff's office released body camera footage showing a 30-second clip of Rivas tussling with the alligator.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 9 June 2026
  • Two boys tussling over a bladder in a three-foot-high canvas painted by Joseph Wright of Derby in the late 1760s snarl up in a whirlpool of pain, each twisting the other’s right ear.
    — Julian Bell, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
Definition of tussling

Browse Nearby Words

wrestle (with)
wrestling
wrestling (with)
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Cite this Entry

“Wrestling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrestling. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on wrestling

Nglish: Translation of wrestling for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wrestling

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