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
Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
The two McLarens were next, then Russell and Hamilton’s Ferrari, which was damaged in a tussle with Franco Colapinto’s Alpine.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 4 May 2026
Julian Bell, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
Vanderbilt, who verbally tussled with Redick on Tuesday after playing just five minutes and receiving an early hook in the second quarter, played a team-high 25 minutes off the bench, contributing six rebounds and five assists.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tussle
Noun
Courting Latino voters One of the many undercurrents of Wednesday’s debate was the ongoing tussle between Becerra and Villaraigosa.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
The two McLarens were next, then Russell and Hamilton’s Ferrari, which was damaged in a tussle with Franco Colapinto’s Alpine.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 4 May 2026
Verb
Two boys tussling over a bladder in a three-foot-high canvas painted by Joseph Wright of Derby in the late 1760s snarl up in a whirlpool of pain, each twisting the other’s right ear.
—Julian Bell, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
Vanderbilt, who verbally tussled with Redick on Tuesday after playing just five minutes and receiving an early hook in the second quarter, played a team-high 25 minutes off the bench, contributing six rebounds and five assists.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tussle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tussle
Noun
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But Giants-Rams might have the greatest blowout potential of these 17 Monday night clashes.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
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Here are some photos from the second of three skirmishes in this always entertaining Show Me State clash.—
Jeff Rosen,
Kansas City Star,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Fortunately the wig has had a second outing with Fouracres donning it again in Episode 7, when his parody Attenborough turned up to wrestle a discontented rhino during Weekend Update.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
15 May 2026
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The renowned Federalist Papers of the late 1780s, 85 essays by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, wrestled with this exact debate.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Forbes was taken down by then-Ravens wide receiver Devin Duvernay in the skirmish.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
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Here are some photos from the second of three skirmishes in this always entertaining Show Me State clash.—
Jeff Rosen,
Kansas City Star,
16 May 2026
Verb
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The Steelers will likely win around 10 games and once again be fighting into the final weeks of the season for a playoff berth.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
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The Warsh view A concern with Miran's approach is that, if the Fed keeps looking through supply shocks, markets and the public will doubt its inflation-fighting credibility.—
Matt Peterson,Steve Liesman,
CNBC,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Decades-long legal battle The Supreme Court decision to overturn Glossip’s conviction and death sentence last year marked a major turning point in his decades-long legal battle.—
Linh Tran,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
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But the frenzied redistricting battle of the past few months — including a congressional map in his home state thrown out by a court after people voted to approve it, and certain elections postponed in Louisiana and Alabama after mail ballots already went out — has done it.—
Miles Parks,
NPR,
14 May 2026
Noun
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Shortly after, Ravens tight end Mark Andrews was seen slamming Commanders cornerback Danny Johnson to the ground leading to another scuffle.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
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And the United States and Iran had a series of scuffles last week that saw the Islamic Republic fire on American Navy vessels and the United States bomb Iranian ports.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Noun
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In vitro fertilization is a medical procedure that can be used to address several infertility struggles.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
19 May 2026
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Jarrett Allen, much maligned for past playoff struggles, dominated the Pistons with 23 points, seven rebounds, completely outmatching Detroit’s Jalen Duren.—
Jason Lloyd,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tussle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tussle. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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