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
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of tussle
Jim Riccioli, jsonline.com, 21 Sep. 2025
Burnt out and fed up with her untameable class of 10-year-olds, Maria tussles with an increasingly naughty student, Danny (played wonderfully by young newcomer Eddie Waller), and makes a rash decision to keep him captive in her basement.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2025
Thom Harris, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
Video footage verified by CNN shows the moment an officer draws his baton amid a struggle with one demonstrator as other officers tussle with protesters on the ground.
—Kara Fox, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tussle
Noun
The elephant was first injured in early September after a tussle with another elephant but had appeared to be recovering.
—Jim Riccioli, jsonline.com, 21 Sep. 2025
Burnt out and fed up with her untameable class of 10-year-olds, Maria tussles with an increasingly naughty student, Danny (played wonderfully by young newcomer Eddie Waller), and makes a rash decision to keep him captive in her basement.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
This could open up space for another Chelsea player to attack, but an arm in the air from the corner taker is usually a sign for Cucurella to trot back into the box, tussling with his defender and making a nuisance of himself on the way back.
—Thom Harris, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
Video footage verified by CNN shows the moment an officer draws his baton amid a struggle with one demonstrator as other officers tussle with protesters on the ground.
—Kara Fox, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tussle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tussle
Noun
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Blame Mercury’s clash with Chiron!—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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Previous attempts by activist flotillas to break the blockade have largely failed and sometimes sparked deadly clashes, including during the 2010 Gaza Freedom Flotilla raid.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The launch comes as comedians wrestle with a fast-changing career pathway and how to manage live sets and digital content in the same breath.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
7 Oct. 2025
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Hurts attempted a deep pass to Dallas Goedert at the 5-yard line, and Goedert appeared to be wrestled to the ground.—
Zach Berman,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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These issues are not unique to the WNBA, as its affiliate league, the NBA, has weathered refereeing controversies and skirmishes over player pay for years.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
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Each new development is underscored by a lingering discomfort about the racial dynamics of the skirmish and about Maja taking action where Nourou might have wanted to leave the whole thing be.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Meet Nashville's new crime-fighting Clydesdale Metro Nashville mounted patrol officer Michael Douglas squeezed a three-foot-long rubber chicken, producing an increasingly louder and closer screeching sound to try and provoke a 1,700-pound Clydesdale named Ross.—
Laura L. Davis,
Nashville Tennessean,
6 Oct. 2025
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The event, launched in 1982, celebrates the freedom to read and express ideas and emphasizes the importance of fighting censorship.—
Jennifer Borresen,
USA Today,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The battle of the rotations Pretty much every night, their starting pitcher was better than your starting pitcher.—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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That includes research presentations on hip-hop, identity and activism, interactive workshops in education and creative practice, and a freestyle dance battle.—
Liz Rothaus Bertrand,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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If anything, the two games at Dodger Stadium showed the struggles of the Reds’ offense, with Blake Snell allowing only two base runners in the first six innings of his Game 1 start, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto gave up two runs in the first inning of Game 2 before retiring 13 straight.—
C. Trent Rosecrans,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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Mendes would later detail his struggles with maintaining his mental health while touring and cancel his Wonder world tour in 2022.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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This helps keep the smaller canines safe and avoids potential scuffles.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
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The man tried to rob him, causing a scuffle that ended with Zeek shot, lying on the ground, dialing 911.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
28 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tussle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tussle. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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