tackle

noun tack·le \ ˈta-kəl , naut often ˈtā- \

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

1 : a set of the equipment used in a particular activity : gear

fishing tackle

2 a : a ship's rigging

b : an assemblage of ropes and pulleys arranged to gain mechanical advantage for hoisting and pulling

3 a : the act or an instance of tackling

b (1) : either of two offensive football players positioned on each side of the center and between guard and end

(2) : either of two football players positioned on the inside of a defensive line

See tackle defined for English-language learners

See tackle defined for kids

Examples of tackle in a Sentence

a box for fishing tackle
He made two tackles in the first half.

Recent Examples of tackle from the Web

Frierson, rated four stars by every major recruiting site, also played on both sides of the ball, closed out his career, according to UM, with 38 solo tackles, four interceptions, three kickoff return touchdowns and four receiving touchdowns.

— susan miller degnan, miamiherald, "NFL great saw UM scrimmage. Here’s what he said about two QBs and a particular safety," 10 Apr. 2018
Candreva then whistled a free-kick inches over the crossbar, as both sides stated to pile in with increasingly aggressive tackles.

— SI.com, "Torino 1-0 Inter: Il Toro Spring Surprise to Dent Nerazzurri's Champions League Qualification Plans," 8 Apr. 2018
Young started nine games as a freshman last season, ranked sixth on the team with 53 tackles and recorded his first career interception in the Foster Farms Bowl.

— michael lev, azcentral, "Defense ahead of offense in Arizona Wildcats scrimmage," 7 Apr. 2018
Wilson likes Washington defensive tackle Vita Vea for the Raiders.

— noel harris, sacbee, "Raiders mock drafts: Two defensive players emerge as favorites to be selected | The Sacramento Bee," 5 Apr. 2018
Expected to make an immediate impact as a freshman in 2015, Cowart played sparingly and finished with just six tackles and no sacks in five games with the Tigers.

— jonas shaffer, baltimoresun.com, "At Maryland, Auburn transfer Byron Cowart is starting over and looking 'tremendous'," 3 Apr. 2018
Shorts and Smith both started at times for the Red Raiders last season; Shorts started four games and caught two passes for 19 yards, while Smith started six games and finished with 30 tackles and one interception.

— tom schad, USA TODAY, "Four Texas Tech football players arrested after weekend disturbance," 26 Mar. 2018
Borland took over the starting middle linebacker job in the second half of last season, and finished with 58 tackles, which ranked fourth on the team.

— doug lesmerises, cleveland.com, "Tuf Borland, Ohio State middle linebacker, out with Achilles injury," 26 Mar. 2018
Pierre-Paul had had 68 tackles, eight sacks and two forced fumbles last season.

— tom canavan, courant.com, "Giants Trade Jason Pierre-Paul To Buccaneers For Draft Picks," 22 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tackle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of tackle

Origin and Etymology of tackle

Middle English takel; akin to Middle Dutch takel ship's rigging

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

tackle Synonyms

Synonyms

accoutrements (or accouterments), apparatus, equipment, gear, hardware, material(s), matériel (or materiel), outfit, paraphernalia, stuff;

baggage, belongings, impedimenta;

appliances, facilities, instruments, machinery, tools;

apparel, attire, habiliments, raiment, trappings;

armamentarium, armory, arsenal, battery;

assets, resources;

Other Hunting and Fishing Terms

chum, covert, creel, flense, pitfall, seine, skulk, spoor, trawl

tackle

verb

tackled; tackling play \ˈta-k(ə-)liŋ\

transitive verb

1 a : to seize, take hold of, or grapple with especially with the intention of stopping or subduing

b : to seize and throw down or stop (an opposing player with the ball) in football

2 : to set about dealing with

tackle the problem

3 : to attach or secure with or as if with tackle

intransitive verb

: to tackle an opposing player in football

—

tackler

play \ˈta-k(ə-)lər\ noun

See tackle defined for English-language learners

Examples of tackle in a Sentence

The police officer tackled him as he tried to escape.
He was tackled at the line of scrimmage.
I'll tackle my homework later.
We found new ways to tackle the problem.

Recent Examples of tackle from the Web

Calderon started to walk away, so Lopez ran and tackled him from behind.

— hannah leone, Aurora Beacon-News, "Aurora man killed in shootout with police had complicated history," 11 Apr. 2018
Last year, David Shulkin, the recently fired VA secretary, declared that the VA would take steps to tackle the problem.

— bill lambrecht, San Antonio Express-News, "Congress forces the VA to offer mental health screenings," 10 Apr. 2018
There’s an emerging consensus that domestic violence often precedes mass shootings and terrorism, which suggests that one way to tackle these problems is to have stronger programs to combat domestic violence.

— jeet heer, The New Republic, "Noor Salman’s acquittal is a victory for domestic violence victims.," 31 Mar. 2018
The two-episode, one-hour premiere saw the Conners tackling various topics, including politics.

— tamara fuentes, Good Housekeeping, "Last Night's "Roseanne" Revival Gets Mixed Reviews From Fans," 28 Mar. 2018
The additional hookups and debt service fee revenue have covered the city’s debt obligations and provided an additional $564,200 which Martin is proposing to use to start tackling replacement of the city’s aging water lines.

— erika butler, The Aegis, "Mayor proposes $16.3 million budget that includes investment in downtown, water rate increase, elimination of debt service fee," 22 Mar. 2018
Various radical solutions have already been proposed to tackle this problem.

— aristos georgiou, Newsweek, "Scientists Are Planning to Stop Hurricanes in Their Tracks by Blowing Air Bubbles into the Sea," 21 Mar. 2018
In 2018, Sasha plans to launch the second book in the Sasha Savvy series and will continue on her journey to spread the message that girls—especially girls of color—can tackle any dream.

— the root staff, The Root, "Young Futurists 2018: These Are the Leaders This Country So Desperately Needs," 19 Mar. 2018
Following a 2016 crash in Commerce, the LAPD and CHP formed a task force to tackle the problem of illicit racing.

— nicole santa cruz, www.latimes.com, "17 years. 179 victims. The deadly toll of street racing in Los Angeles," 16 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of tackle

1600

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

tackle Synonyms

Phrases

go at, have at, light into, pitch into, sail into, tear into;

TACKLE Defined for English Language Learners

tackle

verb

: to forcefully seize (someone) and cause that person to fall to the ground
American football or rugby : to force (the player with the ball) to fall to the ground
soccer, field hockey, etc. : to try to get the ball from (an opposing player who has it)