TOUSLING Synonyms: 62 Similar and Opposite Words

tousling

verb

present participle of tousle

as in disrupting

to undo the proper order or arrangement of his grandfather would always tousle the boy's neatly combed hair

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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.

Recent Examples of tousling In the photo, the Babygirl actress could be seen tapping into her screen siren status by posing with her hands tousling her curls. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 20 June 2026 The result appeared toward the end of the post, which included a photo of Stamos checking out his new look and a video of Capri tousling his hair. — Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tousling

Verb

Habits are usually paired with physical or emotional cues, and disrupting those cues can disrupt the habit.

— Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Eight years ago, protesters frequently drove coverage in their preferred direction by disrupting candidates (Movimiento Cosecha pushed Biden to endorse a deportation moratorium, for instance) and showing up to press them at Q&As.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of disrupting

Verb

The Current traded away some assets while shuffling stars like Michelle Cooper, Temwa Chawinga and Lorena in and out of the lineup.

— PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2026
And for a quarterback whose superpower involves shuffling through collapsing pockets, scrambling through squalor, throwing off any and every platform — such a question was warranted.

— Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of shuffling

Verb

How the storm drain will be repaired Rather than digging up the entire pipe and disturbing residents’ yards, crews plan to install a new lining inside the existing pipe.

— Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026
On vehicles with a dedicated secondary passenger display, front passengers can browse, view lyrics, and watch video content without disturbing the driver.

— Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of disturbing

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tousles

tousling

tout

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“Tousling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tousling. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of tousling

verb

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