as in clash
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
a small tussle on the basketball court was quickly broken up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to wrestle
to seize and attempt to unbalance one another for the purpose of achieving physical mastery
puppies tussling with one another, rolling over and over on the carpet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of tussle
Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
In addition to the suit filed today against the Shells, Cipriani is in a legal tussle with Las Vegas casino owners Resorts World.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2026
Jill Lawless, Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
Isaiah Stewart left the bench to confront Bridges, who responded with a punch, and the players tussled.
—CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tussle
Noun
The trial is part of a much larger legal tussle over the matter, with potential implications for Abbott and for families of babies born prematurely nationwide.
—Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
In addition to the suit filed today against the Shells, Cipriani is in a legal tussle with Las Vegas casino owners Resorts World.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2026
Verb
The pair were caught tussling several times before Palmerston retired in 2020.
—Jill Lawless, Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
Isaiah Stewart left the bench to confront Bridges, who responded with a punch, and the players tussled.
—CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tussle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tussle
Noun
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Taken together, the clashes in Virginia, New Jersey, Utah, Wisconsin, and other states point to a deeper institutional standoff.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Mar. 2026
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Shifting opinions While the 2024 war saw relative unity in Lebanon behind Hezbollah’s clashes with the IDF – feelings driven by anger at the war in Gaza – this latest conflict has seen emboldened opposition to the armed group.—
Joseph Ataman,
CNN Money,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Clark wrestled a rebound away from UCF’s Themus Fulks with 16 seconds left and began to dribble away – only to lose the ball out of bounds.—
Daily News,
Daily News,
21 Mar. 2026
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And Duke — a blueblood with five NCAA titles — spent much of Thursday in serious danger of being added to that list before finally wrestling away control of the game in the last 8 minutes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In a dangerous escalation from cross-border skirmishes, Pakistan launched air strikes at the end of February, targeting major cities including Kabul.—
Harriet Marsden,
TheWeek,
24 Mar. 2026
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The Peaky Blinders don’t really lose any men at all in this skirmish.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But is everyone really fighting in this scenario?—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
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Michael Loria The war with Iran has sparked fighting throughout the Middle East, including in Lebanon where Israel and Iran ally Hezbollah have been fighting intermittently for generations.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Longhorns have won the turnover battle in all but three of their games.—
Danny Davis,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
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When Jokic was out in January, the Nuggets understood that the ideal upset formula involved winning the possession battle.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Officer Alexander Clifford shot Walker multiple times during a scuffle after a second officer fell down and Walker raised a knife in what investigators said appeared to be an attempt to stab the policeman, the report said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
23 Mar. 2026
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Matt Grzelcyk was injured in a first-period scuffle and didn’t return.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Now this artist, who is devoted to depicting the Chicano struggle, says removing Chavez from artwork may be the only choice.—
Steve Large,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
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The reality is there wasn’t much in reserve in the middle, with it another struggle for Kel’el Ware.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tussle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tussle. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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