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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
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 Curry truffle wins tussle as Ramen Rumble era comes to close, raising over $100K for Give Kids The World Village in 10-year run. — Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 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
  • Parkinson usually plays things a bit straighter with the media, but his presence in the away dugout did provide the 20,056-capacity crowd — and an audience watching on TV on both sides of the Atlantic — with a fascinating clash of styles.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Disappointment over a relationship rift flares as the moon and Saturn clash.
    — USA TODAY, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of clash
Verb
  • California growers and winemakers of all sizes are wrestling with an oversaturated market due to a steep drop in consumer demand and the loss of the majority of wine exports to Canada.
    — Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 17 Sep. 2026
  • As Nabers wrestled with hurdles that stood in his way, the noise of a 24/7 NFL news cycle desperate to know Nabers’ next steps swirled around them.
    — Charlotte Carroll, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of wrestle
Noun
  • There was a brief skirmish in the end zone after Howell's 2-point conversion run.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Its outcome will be a major milestone in the decades-long political skirmishes over CEQA.
    — Dan Walters, Oc Register, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of skirmish
Verb
  • The fourth plane was headed for Washington, officials concluded, but the aircraft went down in Pennsylvania after passengers and crew members stormed the cockpit and fought the hijackers.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
  • San Francisco must now fight the effects of trying to reset those body clocks back to Pacific Time ahead of the final 16 games, and perhaps that’s Los Angeles’ edge in never changing at all.
    — Nate Atkins, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of fight
Noun
  • Don’t shrink to avoid disagreement, but don’t make everything a battle for control either.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Mustafa, who was born in Iraqi Kurdistan and fled to Norway as a child, said the film was inspired by his encounter with a female Peshmerga sniper during the 2014 frontline battles, as female Kurdish fighters countered Islamic State attacks.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of battle
Noun
  • The scuffle escalated, police say, when Hoempler pulled out a semi-automatic pistol from his waistband and shot all three men.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Sunshine and Hamza stage a streetside scuffle that escalates beyond expectations.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of scuffle
Noun
  • Countries with far smaller digital ecosystems, like Cambodia and Laos, have even greater struggles to attract and retain AI talent.
    — Brian Wong, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Underwood wasn’t Michigan’s only problem, but his struggles were impossible to ignore.
    — Austin Meek, New York Times, 6 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 19 Sep. 2026.

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