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tussle 1 of 2

noun

ˈtə-səl How to pronounce tussle (audio)
Definition of tusslenext
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

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

Example Sentences

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 tussle
Noun
Firms and their VCs tussle for relevance, ownership, and board seats. — Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026 The regime is seeking to use the tussle over the Strait of Hormuz as a distraction from all of this. — Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
Another fight broke out at a Chicago baseball game, as fans tussled during the eighth inning of the series finale between the New York Mets and the White Sox at Rate Field on Sunday. — Evgenia Anastasakos, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026 The Jabaras tussled over which customs to preserve, and which to compromise on. — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tussle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tussle
  1. clash
  2. wrestle
  3. skirmish
  4. fight
  5. battle
  6. scuffle
  7. struggle
Noun
  • In the second week of the college football season, in a clash of titans, the University of Texas scored 21 unanswered points to surge past Ohio State in the fourth quarter and win, 24-23.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The latest public clash between the Spencers and Windsors is therefore a test of alliances for the British royal clan.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of clash
Verb
  • As the longtime partners wrestle with their dark pasts and present conspiracies, Chris’ newfound bond with a pair of students (Mariana di Girolamo and Ailín Salas) threatens to send everyone’s trip sideways.
    — Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026
  • This fissure triggered one of the 21st century’s bloodiest wars in 2020 when federal forces attempted to wrestle control of the large province of Tigray, leaving up to 600,000 dead by the time a ceasefire deal was signed two years later.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of wrestle
Noun
  • Ties between the two countries, which had deteriorated sharply following a deadly border skirmish in 2020, have been thawing for more than a year.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The duo walks away from this skirmish, though not unscathed, as Samjad quickly and economically sets up a blistering saga of stylish reprisals with no holds barred.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of skirmish
Verb
  • Eritrean troops fought alongside Ethiopian forces against the TPLF in that conflict.
    — SAMUEL GETACHEW, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Lord Lovat is out on the road in an attempt to collect Fraser men to fight under his banner for the Jacobites.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of fight
Noun
  • There will be recruiting battles and NIL headaches and portal defections and angry message boards and all the other insanity that comes with coaching at a place where fans consider 9-3 an average record rather than an accomplishment.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The White Sox, meanwhile, are in a neck-and-neck battle with the Cleveland Guardians for the American League Central crown.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of battle
Noun
  • Three Argentina players — Leandro Paredes, Nahuel Molina and Thiago Almada — were recently handed bans by FIFA for a scuffle after losing the the World Cup final.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026
  • South Lake Tahoe Mayor Cody Bass on Tuesday was ordered to serve 10 days in the Douglas County Jail for a misdemeanor harassment conviction stemming from a scuffle with a bar employee a year ago on the Nevada side of the state border.
    — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of scuffle
Noun
  • Through paintings, prints, and installations, Endaya’s work examines the social struggles in her native Philippines, from gender and labor inequality to migration and globalization, to name a few.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • But his mom is sharing the family’s struggle as a warning to others.
    — Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of struggle

Browse Nearby Words

tushes
tussle
tussled
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Cite this Entry

“Tussle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tussle. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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