tackle

1 of 2

noun

tack·​le ˈta-kəl How to pronounce tackle (audio)
nautical often
ˈtā- How to pronounce tackle (audio)
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

Illustration of tackle

Illustration of tackle
  • tackle 2b

tackle

2 of 2

verb

tackled; tackling ˈta-k(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce tackle (audio)

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 noun

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
Noun
The team enters free agency with holes at safety, defensive tackle, right tackle and tight end. Kelsey Conway, The Enquirer, 12 Mar. 2024 Veteran Rob Havenstein is entrenched at right tackle. Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024 Last year, Van Ginkel produced 69 tackles, six sacks, eight pass breakups and an interception. Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 5 Mar. 2024 Aligning back deep, in the slot and down to the box, the 6-foot-1, 216-pound safety led the way in solo tackles and tied for the team lead with two picks. Oliver Thomas, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Wilkins has the most tackles of any defensive tackles since entering the league. Daniel Oyefusi, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024 Defensive tackle Arik Armstead is poised to return for his 10th season, cornerback Deommodore Lenoir is coming off a breakout season, and safety Ji’Ayir Brown has a Super Bowl interception to his credit. Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2024 One of most perplexing subplots to the disappointing end to the Dallas Cowboys season was the disappearing act of defensive tackle Mazi Smith. Clarence E. Hill Jr., Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Feb. 2024 Model Chanel Iman and New England Patriots defensive tackle Davon Godchaux first met at a popular beach club in Miami—and in May of last year, Davon proposed while the couple were on vacation in Capri, Italy. Alexandra MacOn, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2024
Verb
Senior Pentagon officials believe that keeping a presence in Niger is vital to efforts to tackle terrorism in the region. Mitchell McCluskey, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024 That number went up after colleagues found out how much work the two were tackling; even so, creesch was winding down. Paresh Dave, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2024 The analogy may be imperfect, but the mental-health crisis affecting the city — a problem that is partially, but in no way totally, responsible for reduced ridership on the subway — could be tackled in the same vein. Ginia Bellafante, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 The goal was to tackle this subject in a way that was funny and not pedantic or like a lecture. Taylor Lorenz, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 The rest of the starting offensive line — tackles Rashawn Slater and Trey Pipkins III and guards Zion Johnson and Jamaree Salyer — return, although the Chargers’ new regime could looking to bargain shop for potential upgrades. Jeff Miller, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024 The bill was not signed into law by the U.S. House of Representatives, citing other priorities that needed to be addressed before tackling DST, according to The Hill. Chris Sims, The Indianapolis Star, 9 Mar. 2024 The film is a fascinating portrait of a woman who was brave enough to tackle misogyny head on and paid a dear price for it, including her erasure from popular history. The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2024 Short subjects willing to tackle tough subjects made the final cut with the Academy this year. Peter Debruge, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tackle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1600, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

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

Dictionary Entries Near tackle

Cite this Entry

“Tackle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tackle. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tackle

1 of 2 noun
tack·​le ˈtak-əl How to pronounce tackle (audio)
nautical often
ˈtāk- How to pronounce tackle (audio)
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 How to pronounce tackle (audio)
1
: to seize or take hold of especially in order to stop or throw down
2
: to set about dealing with
tackle a problem
tackler noun

More from Merriam-Webster on tackle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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