wrestling

1 of 2

noun

wres·​tling ˈre-sliŋ How to pronounce wrestling (audio)
ˈra-;
ˈre-sᵊl-iŋ, 
ˈra-
Synonyms of wrestlingnext
1
: a sport or contest in which two unarmed individuals try to throw, force, or pin each other to the ground
My favorite sport in school was wrestling.
—often used before another noun
a wrestling coach
wrestling matches
2
: a staged and often scripted theatrical dramatization of wrestling : professional wrestling
… the choreographed wrestling that has made millionaires of over-sized bad actors.—Tom Ford
Her current … gimmick, a blend of old-school Hollywood glamour and unhinged aggression, has become one of the most popular and entertaining acts in all of wrestling.—Andrew Ravens
—often used before another noun
a wrestling star
… while his persona might be all about chaos, underneath is a hard worker who is making waves in the wrestling world.—Orlander Ruming

wrestling

2 of 2

present participle of wrestle entry 1

Examples of wrestling in a Sentence

Noun My favorite sport is wrestling. He was on the wrestling team in high school.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
Former wrestling star Pac, whose real name was Benjamin Satterley, died of bronchial asthma late last month, the California Post said, citing the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office. — Ryan Morik Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026 Erik Shirai cinematically captures the spectacle of strength that is the world of professional sumo wrestling, and shines a rare spotlight on the secrecy of the sport and its formidable competitors. — Addie Morfoot, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026 Many of these cases occurred after people became infected at a youth wrestling tournament tin February and subsequently spread the virus in school and within their households. — ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026 The coming-of-age drama, based on Coffey’s life, follows a high school student with mild cerebral palsy trying to wrestle for the school’s scholastic wrestling team. — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wrestling

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English wrastlinge, going back to Old English wrǣstlunge, from wrǣstlian* "to wrestle entry 1" + -unge -ing entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wrestling was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing wrestling

Browse Nearby Words

wrestler
wrestling
wrest pin
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wrestling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wrestling. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

wrestling

noun
wres·​tling ˈres-liŋ How to pronounce wrestling (audio)
: the sport in which two contestants wrestle each other

More from Merriam-Webster on wrestling

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for wrestling

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wrestling

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