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
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Recent Examples of tussle
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2025
The man in civilian clothes runs up and tackles the gunman, wrestling a gun out of his hands after a brief tussle.
—Omer Bekin, NBC news, 15 Dec. 2025
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
Instead, for days, migrants tussled with Mexican soldiers and auxiliary police officers, demanding to be let go, to enter the United States.
—Time, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tussle
Noun
And his energy is contagious—A’zion and Paltrow tussle with him at the same level of electrifying intensity.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2025
The man in civilian clothes runs up and tackles the gunman, wrestling a gun out of his hands after a brief tussle.
—Omer Bekin, NBC news, 15 Dec. 2025
Verb
The characters were distrustful of each other (because anybody could be the killer), and one of Warren’s favorite memories is the scene with her and Mull tussling to get out of a tight bar space at the same time.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
Instead, for days, migrants tussled with Mexican soldiers and auxiliary police officers, demanding to be let go, to enter the United States.
—Time, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tussle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tussle
Noun
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The clashes have since descended into an all-out civil war, characterized by ethnic violence, attacks on civilians and atrocities committed by all sides, according to humanitarian groups and foreign governments.—
ByGuy Davies,
ABC News,
9 Jan. 2026
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Iranian state television aired images of clashes and fires, while the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that several police officers were killed overnight, underscoring the increasingly violent nature of the confrontations.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Frenchman wrestled an awful Alpine to 11 Q3 appearances in 2025 and brought in 100 percent of his team’s points.—
Alex Kalinauckas,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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For decades, Sarasota County leaders have wrestled with the idea of reopening Midnight Pass, an inlet that split Siesta and Casey keys until its closure in 1983.—
Jack Prator,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Things then turned violent when someone tried to lunge at Black as marshals walked him out of the courtroom, leading to a skirmish appearing to involve about a dozen people.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
2 Jan. 2026
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Other conflict hotspots include India/Pakistan following a deadly skirmish in 2025, Congo/Rwanda, and the ongoing civil war in Sudan.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Fifty years ago, my father was a Vietnamese soldier who fought as an ally to the United States Armed Forces in Vietnam.—
Bao Phi,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
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Dickens’ appearance was during an ongoing back and forth fight between the city and MARTA over transit expansion in Atlanta.—
Riley Bunch,
AJC.com,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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This was not a rare occurrence at the university, where the presence of many students depended on the outcome of factional battles in their countries of origin.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Jan. 2026
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In fact, filming the entire episode was quite the experience as the actress spent a lot of time arguing with herself as Maddie and Sara engaged in a battle of wills for control over the call center.—
Sabienna Bowman,
PEOPLE,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In December, a scuffle went down on the ice during the game, featuring big hits and fights from the kids.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
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There was nearly a second Girard scuffle.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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His struggles are hurting the Broncos in the biggest moments, too.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
9 Jan. 2026
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After all, there are signs that the economy is improving (unemployment and inflation are declining), but after the economic struggles of recent years, and with household debt still high, an additional financing source won't hurt, either.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tussle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tussle. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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