Synonyms of tussle

tussle 1 of 2

noun

ˈtə-səl 

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

• clash
• skirmish
• battle
• fight
• scuffle
• struggle
• brawl
• fray
• dustup
• contest
• fracas
• confrontation
• conflict
• altercation
• scrimmage
• duel
• combat
• scrum
• quarrel
• scrap
• dispute
• spat
• rough-and-tumble
• fistfight
• squabble
• fisticuffs
• hassle
• blows
• melee
• slugfest
• tangle
• pitched battle
• mix-up
• ruckus
• battle royal
• donnybrook
• face-off
• punch-up
• controversy
• joust
• affray
• wrangle
• catfight
• free-for-all
• tiff
• row
• falling-out
• ruction
• contretemps
• broil
• punch-out
• misunderstanding
• disagreement
• grapple
• cross fire
• argument
• kickup
• argy-bargy
• handgrips
• argle-bargle

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• truce

tussle

2 of 2

verb

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

• wrestle
• fight
• brawl
• scuffle
• grapple
• battle
• rassle
• duel
• contend
• skirmish
• combat
• war (against)
• hit
• punch
• strike
• clash (with)
• box
• slug
• spar
• buffet
• batter
• bash
• beat

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of tussle

Noun

There is a tussle over what seems to be the last remaining condom in the five boroughs. — Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026

There were interceptions, incompletions and a few tussles from cranky and competitive players on a hot and humid New England morning. — Zach Berman, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Verb

Over the past month, the administration has tussled with Anthropic and OpenAI over releasing their latest models to the public. — Jared Perlo, NBC news, 29 June 2026

But the Americans tussled right back, and never totally lost their cool. — Sean Gregory, Time, 20 June 2026