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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Recent Examples of tousling
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
Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tousling
Verb
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Canvas, a learning management platform used by thousands of schools and universities, was down for hours on May 7 after a cyberattack, disrupting access to grades and coursework during spring finals season for many.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
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The Iranian military did not say how exactly the vessel, which has since changed its name to Jin Li, was disrupting its oil exports.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Verb
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There was major line shuffling overall by Cooper on this night.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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YoshimiO, sharing fellow ’90s icon Flea’s recent interest in the instrument, turns in a credible trumpet line during the track’s shuffling, exuberant second half.—
Reed Jackson,
SPIN,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Amanda Peet has had people confusing her for Lake Bell at restaurants, airports, red carpets and everywhere in between.—
Laura Lane,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
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But online as an antidote only works if the sector stops confusing access with quality.—
Ian Gibson,
Twin Cities,
1 May 2026
Verb
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In addition, local inland wetland agencies may have stricter regulations on planting, disturbing or controlling specific invasive plants in sensitive areas within their town.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
4 May 2026
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Remaining quiet and respectful increases the chances of observing bears in their natural habitat without disturbing them.—
Debbie Olsen,
Travel + Leisure,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tousling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tousling. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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