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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of tussle
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
By the end of the visual, the pair have a dinner table tussle, which ends on a fun cliffhanger.
—Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 20 Jan. 2026
In winter, the wind tussled clumps often resemble a wild hairdo, which is a welcome dose of garden whimsy.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tussle
Noun
Now comes the tussle over the final budget and Hochul must stand fast against Mamdani’s calls for higher taxes.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
By the end of the visual, the pair have a dinner table tussle, which ends on a fun cliffhanger.
—Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
Verb
Cowboys tussle with agitated horses.
—Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 20 Jan. 2026
In winter, the wind tussled clumps often resemble a wild hairdo, which is a welcome dose of garden whimsy.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tussle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tussle
Noun
-
Tempers flared during a recent pair of NBA games, and both contests were marred by tense clashes between players.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
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Having beaten Rybakina from a similar situation in the 2023 title clash, Sabalenka unleashed a flurry of winners to go ahead 3-0, but the Kazakh erased the deficit and broke for 4-3 before securing the victory to add to her 2022 Wimbledon triumph.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Big Tech continues to wrestle with mass layoffs, most recently with Amazon’s announcement to slash 16,000 jobs.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
31 Jan. 2026
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A number of agents jumped out and wrestled him to the ground.—
Jude Joffe-Block,
NPR,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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After a skirmish, Pretti escaped from the officer and went toward the crowd.—
Hailey Bullis,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Feb. 2026
-
Swayman went down to one knee and the referees broke up the skirmish.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Now, Mendoza tells CNN, the couple is no longer fighting to remain the United States.—
Susana Erazo,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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The Franklin Park Defenders, a community group fighting the project, pushed back at the cost that has climbed since it was first floated.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The star of the cache was a near-complete Iron Age battle trumpet, or carnyx — used to blare eerie sounds in battle and rally troops against the enemy.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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Alain Hamel is credited with catching the giant flatfish, which was pulled through the ice after a two-and-a-half hour battle.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The coach said a verbal argument escalated into a small scuffle and the parties separated.—
David Ferrara,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
2 Feb. 2026
-
The football teams have had a series of scuffles in recent years, including a 2022 incident in the Michigan Stadium tunnel that resulted in criminal charges for several Spartans.—
Austin Meek,
New York Times,
2 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Hyland, who’d been a revelation prior to his recent struggles, regained form in the win.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
27 Jan. 2026
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Unlearn that struggle equals success.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tussle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tussle. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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