Illustration of tackle
- tackle 2b
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
tackled; tackling
ˈta-k(ə-)liŋ 
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
: to tackle an opposing player in football
Examples of tackle in a Sentence
Noun
a box for fishing tackle
He made two tackles in the first half.
Verb
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 on the Web
Matt Wadleigh, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
Seattle had six tackles for loss, three run stuffs (tackles for no gain) and five tackles on run plays that gained exactly 1 yard, according to TruMedia.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
The variety of blades can tackle several different pruning jobs, which makes this versatile set your new best friend until the first frost sets in.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tackle
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Noun
The Eagles also landed wide receiver John Metchie III, quarterback Sam Howell, and offensive tackles Fred Johnson and Darian Kennard to add more talent to the roster despite coming off a Super Bowl win.
—Matt Wadleigh, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
Seattle had six tackles for loss, three run stuffs (tackles for no gain) and five tackles on run plays that gained exactly 1 yard, according to TruMedia.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
San Francisco’s star defensive end tackled running back Ken Walker III for no gain on first-and-5 from the 9-yard line, then pushed right tackle Abe Lucas back in the pocket on second down, causing Darnold to fumble.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
The variety of blades can tackle several different pruning jobs, which makes this versatile set your new best friend until the first frost sets in.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tackle
Cite this Entry
“Tackle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tackle. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
1
: a set of special equipment : gear
fishing tackle
2
: an arrangement of ropes and wheels for hoisting or pulling something heavy
3
a
: the act or an instance of tackling
b
: a football player who is positioned on the line of scrimmage and inside the ends
tackle
2 of 2 verb
tackled; tackling
ˈtak-(ə-)liŋ
1
: to seize or take hold of especially in order to stop or throw down
2
: to set about dealing with
tackle a problem
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