1
: a physical contest or struggle : scuffle
2
: an intense argument, controversy, or struggle
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
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
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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Tussle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tussle. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tussle
2 of 2 noun1
: a physical contest or struggle
2
: a rough argument or a struggle against difficult odds
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