tussle

1 of 2

noun

tus·​sle ˈtə-səl How to pronounce tussle (audio)
Synonyms of tusslenext
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
Since January 17, however, Rochdale and York had been embroiled in their own private pass-the-parcel tussle, with the top spot changing hands a dozen times. Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026 While the program has produced lighter moments for political junkies, such as the Allison-Singleton banter, clips of occasional spats between panelists have made the show a messy must-watch for virtual viewers who casually tune in to the tussles on social media. Jay Stahl, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2026
Verb
Analysts say Altman and Musk tussled over who would lead the company, and Musk lost. John Ruwitch, NPR, 27 Apr. 2026 Two boys tussling over a bladder in a three-foot-high canvas painted by Joseph Wright of Derby in the late 1760s snarl up in a whirlpool of pain, each twisting the other’s right ear. Julian Bell, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026 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 28 Apr. 2026.

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

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