Noun
The suspect was arrested after a tussle with a security guard.
a tussle for control of the company
The President is in for another tussle with Congress. Verb
Two players tussled for the ball.
The residents of the neighborhood tussled with city hall for years about the broken parking meters.
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Noun
That led to a behind-the-scenes tussle between OPD and federal authorities about what to release to the public and when.—Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2026 After a tussle which left Argentina's Jorge Valdano surrounded by England's defenders, English midfielder Steve Hodge kicked the ball toward their keeper, Peter Shilton, in an effort to save the play.—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 11 June 2026
Verb
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who tussled with Dolan over his decision to cancel MSG's outdoor watch party Wednesday night, kept his focus on the game and the excitement of the Knicks' historic come-from-behind victory on Thursday.—Marcia Kramer, CBS News, 11 June 2026 The Buffs and Rams have tussled 34 times in the last 43 years, with CU winning 26 of the matchups.—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for tussle
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English (Scots) tussillen, frequentative of Middle English -tusen, -tousen to tousle — more at touse