tussle

1 of 2

noun

tus·​sle ˈtə-səl How to pronounce tussle (audio)
1
: a physical contest or struggle : scuffle
2
: an intense argument, controversy, or struggle

tussle

2 of 2

verb

tussled; tussling ˈtə-s(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce tussle (audio)

intransitive verb

: to struggle roughly : scuffle

Examples of tussle in a Sentence

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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The tussle on the Milwaukee-to-Dallas-Fort Worth flight is the latest example of apparent air passenger misbehavior – a problem that’s worsened for airlines since before the pandemic, with at least 1,854 incidents reported this year to the Federal Aviation Administration. Graham Hurley, CNN, 21 Nov. 2024 Mexico City may have been celebrating the Day of The Dead on Sunday, but the title tussle between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris is alive and kicking. Dan Cancian, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Verb
Well, not actually tussling in a War of the Roses way; more an amiable tug-of-war on the village green before bonding over a few local ales. Sarah James, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Nov. 2024 Adding to the stress, artists tussled over what appeared to be fewer available — and affordable — venues. Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 11 Sep. 2024 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

First Known Use

Noun

1629, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1638, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tussle was in 1629

Dictionary Entries Near tussle

Cite this Entry

“Tussle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tussle. Accessed 4 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

tussle

1 of 2 verb
tus·​sle ˈtəs-əl How to pronounce tussle (audio)
tussled; tussling
ˈtəs-(ə-)liŋ

tussle

2 of 2 noun
1
: a physical contest or struggle
2
: a rough argument or a struggle against difficult odds

More from Merriam-Webster on tussle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!