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Glite Dictionary
to wrestle with

to wrestle with

52 4.6
Try hard to deal with a difficult problem
  • phrasal verb
  • /ˈrɛsəl wɪð/
translation icon : lidiar con
  • She found herself wrestling with the decision to move to a new city for her job.
  • wrestle with issues
  • wrestle with a problem
  • wrestle with questions

And people are wrestling with that issue right now.

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Examples

  • We expect them to wrestle with social and political issues.

  • I’ve been wrestling with that one for years.

    Sarah's Choice (2009)

  • And people are wrestling with that issue right now.

    Andrew Huberman

  • Which we are wrestling with as a society right now.

  • No one else seemed to be wrestling with such a terrific personal problem.

    The Red Badge of Courage (1951)

  • Their critical thinking skills will be improved by wrestling with the questions on their own.

    Academic text (1991)

  • As a result, they are constantly wrestling with questions about how their faith affects their politics.

    Academic text (1996)

  • These are issues that we still wrestle with today in the political realm.

  • The Radcliffe Institute is a perfect place to wrestle with this paradox.

  • Ecosystem scientists will undoubtedly continue to wrestle with these issues well into the twenty-first century.

    Academic text (1997)

Synonyms

to struggle
vsto wrestle with
851 2.8

To try very hard to do or deal with something difficult

focuses more on managing and solving problems rather than effort alone
to tackle
vsto wrestle with
204 3.4

To try to deal with a difficult problem or task

involves ongoing effort to find a solution rather than just starting action
to wrestle
vsto wrestle with
121 3.9

To struggle with a difficult problem or decision

is aimed at solving external problems rather than inner conflicts
to grapple
vsto wrestle with
56 4.2

To try hard to deal with a difficult problem

emphasizes solving the problem rather than only understanding it
to grapple with
vsto wrestle with
52 6.1

To try hard to deal with a difficult problem or situation

focuses more on finding a solution rather than just understanding
to rassle
vsto wrestle with
  • Informal
1 9.9

To struggle with a hard problem or task

is the neutral term used in general contexts rather than informal speech

Antonyms

to accept
∞ 3.5

To tolerate an unpleasant situation without complaining

How Hard

to struggle
851 2.8
to wrestle with
52 4.6
to consider
∞ 1.1
to think about
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

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

Morphology

wrestle + with

The meaning 'to struggle to deal with a problem' is a metaphorical extension of the physical verb 'wrestle' combined with 'with' marking the target of the struggle, so learners who know both words can often infer the sense. This pattern is regular and cross-linguistically common but relies on metaphorical transfer rather than purely literal composition, making it only partially predictable.

Etymology

Wrestle with comes from the image of two people literally wrestling with each other, each trying to hold and control the other. So when you wrestle with a problem, you 'struggle to deal with' it or try hard to find a solution.