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
Ellis gets into minor tussles and side hustles with peculiar characters with names like The Blade and Sunglasses (the latter of whom is played by a pitch-perfect Patrick Warburton as an Elvis-worshipping mobster who works out of a bowling alley named Great Bowls of Fire). Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 May 2025 Such metrics can belie the eye test, which highlights Torres’ discernible discomfort when against strikers who enjoy physical tussles — such as Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta — or those, such as Jamie Vardy, who run behind. Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 14 May 2025
Verb
Congress has long tussled over how, and whether, to protect the idea of government forecasts. Judson Jones, New York Times, 15 May 2025 At one point, two of them begin tussling, while the third watches. Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 2 May 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tussle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tussle. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

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

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