wrestle
v.v. to fight someone by holding and throwing them without using hits or kicks. You can also use this word when you are trying hard to solve a difficult problem.
v. to engage in a physical struggle involving grappling and throwing an opponent. Often used figuratively to describe the act of struggling with a difficult decision, problem, or emotion.
The two brothers like to wrestle on the grass.
The committee had to wrestle with a shrinking budget while trying to maintain the quality of the program.
Philosophers have continued to wrestle with the definition of consciousness for centuries, yet a definitive scientific consensus remains elusive despite modern neurological advances.
The verb is derived from Middle English wrestlen, wrastlen (“to engage in grappling combat or sport, struggle, wrestle; to twist and turn, squirm, wriggle, writhe; (figurative) to contend, grapple with, struggle”), from Old English wrǣstlian (“to wrestle”), a frequentative form of wrǣstan (“to twist, wrest”), from Proto-Germanic wraistijaną (“to turn; to twist, wrest”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wreyt- (“to twist”). By surface analysis, wrest + -le (frequentative suffix). Probably related to wraxle (UK, dialectal, archaic). The noun is derived from the verb. cognates * Middle Dutch worstelen, wrastelen (“to wrestle”) (modern Dutch worstelen) * Middle Low German wrostelen (“to wrestle”) (German Low German frösseln, wrösseln) * Saterland Frisian wrosselje (“to contend, wrestle”) * West Frisian wrakselje (“to wrestle”)
Often takes the preposition 'with' when used in a figurative sense to describe mental or emotional struggle.
he is wrestling to the problemhe is wrestling with the problemWhen describing a struggle against a problem or idea, the verb requires the preposition 'with'.