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Glite Dictionary
🤼 To fight physically 🤔 To struggle mentally 🤼 A close fight
to wrestle

to wrestle

123 1.8
To struggle physically by holding and trying to push someone or something down
  • verb
  • /ˈrɛsəl/
translation icon : luchar
  • Her first sight was of Kyosti wrestling down the gunner at the laser emplacement.
  • a wrestling match
  • men wrestle
  • women wrestle

And yet when we wrestle, I can't pin her.

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Examples

  • Curry and Pam began to clap and cheer as Morris wrestled the man to the floor.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Did you tell her you wrestled in high school?

    Ghosted (2023)

  • So I guess you wrestle with your father one way or the other.

  • So it's either wrestle me for the ball or let me stay in.

    Major League: Back to the Minors (1998)

  • How do you wrestle that thing to the ground?

    Octaman (1971)

  • You wanna wrestle, come with me.

    Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)

  • And I've always wanted to wrestle a bear because of him.

    IMPAULSIVE

  • Then we wrestled around on the ground.

    Sliver (1993)

  • Jacob jumps on top of Frank and wrestles him into the tall grass.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • The two friends decided to wrestle in the backyard, trying to take each other down.

Synonyms

to fight
vsto wrestle
∞ 1.0

To take part in a physical or verbal struggle against someone

is specifically a close physical action aiming to pin or force down
to grapple
vsto wrestle
10 5.1

To grab and hold someone or something during a struggle

is a broader physical struggle aiming to force someone down
to tussle
vsto wrestle
7 5.3

To fight roughly with another person at close range

is more controlled focusing on holding and forcing someone down
to rassle
vsto wrestle
  • Informal
1 9.2

To wrestle playfully with another person

is the neutral term for more serious or competitive physical struggle
to wraxle
vsto wrestle
  • UK
9.9

To playfully wrestle with someone while laughing

is the general term for forceful, often competitive physical struggle

Antonyms

to release
∞ 1.8

To let someone or something go free from being held

Idioms

to wrestle with a pig
  • Offensive
9.3

To argue with someone who will not listen and waste your time

Phrasal Verbs

to wrestle with
52 4.6

Try hard to deal with a difficult problem

to mud-wrestle
2 7.3

To hold and throw someone in mud for fun or sport

Compounds

Indian wrestle
  • Indian
8.8

A play fight where two people lie on the ground and try to push the other's raised leg down

How Violent

to maul
  • NSFW
29 7.2
to fight
∞ 1.0
to wrestle
123 1.8
to grapple
10 5.1
to tussle
7 5.3
scuffle
25 3.7

Surface Forms

wrestle infinitive
wrestled past
wrestled past participle
wrestling present participle
wrestles third person singular

Morphology

wrestle = wrest (transparent) = wrest + le

The physical sense is a straightforward development from 'wrest' with the frequentative/causative '-le', indicating repeated or sustained action of twisting/struggling.

Etymology

Wrestle comes from an old English root wrest- meaning 'to twist', which brings to mind people grabbing and turning each other's arms and wrists. That's why wrestle means to fight physically by holding, twisting, and trying to force someone down.