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
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
With Freedman’s representation in pocket, events already are in motion that indicate a legal tussle is in the making — perhaps behind closed doors, perhaps not.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 28 May 2026
Belinda Luscombe, Time, 28 Apr. 2026
Analysts say Altman and Musk tussled over who would lead the company, and Musk lost.
—John Ruwitch, NPR, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tussle
Noun
The odds are that many of the state-level laws would run afoul of a federal mandate, and a tsunami of legal cases would arise as a tussle between federal law and state law is undertaken.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
With Freedman’s representation in pocket, events already are in motion that indicate a legal tussle is in the making — perhaps behind closed doors, perhaps not.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 28 May 2026
Verb
Just as her characters tussle with the frailties installed during their upbringings, Strout, the daughter of a schoolteacher mother and parasitologist father who was also a congregationalist deacon, has reckoned with her roots.
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 28 Apr. 2026
Analysts say Altman and Musk tussled over who would lead the company, and Musk lost.
—John Ruwitch, NPR, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tussle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tussle
Noun
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The acquisition also created an opportunity for some friendly clubhouse banter, particularly because Lauer spent years trying to beat the Dodgers while pitching for rival organizations, most notably during the teams’ epic clash in last year’s World Series.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
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Last year, clashes between the Kashmiri group’s supporters and security forces killed several people, including police officers.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
Verb
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Officers Coggins and Pacholsky wrestled with the man as Jeffery tried to secure the gun.—
Clifford Ward,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2026
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Like India, Indonesia has been wrestling with a falling currency, and on May 20, the country's central bank raised its policy interest rates by a larger-than-expected 50 basis points.—
Sri Jegarajah,Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
Noun
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One of those skirmishes, in fact, involved Childress himself, in 2011 at Kansas Speedway, when the then-65-year-old car owner for an opposing team got into a physical altercation with Busch after an on-track incident.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
6 June 2026
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At Bunker HIll, historical displays are accompanied by panels with quotes that reflect on the monument and the Battle of Bunker Hill, the first major skirmish of the Revolutionary War.—
Harrison Jacobs,
ARTnews.com,
5 June 2026
Verb
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While Hulst tried to fight his way through traffic, Serna was in unfamiliar territory.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
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Aspiring journalist Lily’s camera was recording when the OPEF Marines invaded and began killing both Marsies and the Peacekeepers force that was actually aligned with the Marines and fighting against the Marsies.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Mexico dominated, winning the possession battle 60% to 40%.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
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The Patriots had goals from Maya Feloney and Ava Bridgman, but the possession battle was firmly in NDA’s favor with the score being 5-2.—
Jack Murray,
Boston Herald,
11 June 2026
Noun
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In reality, little was lost in the scuffle over the conceptual work.—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
1 June 2026
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The scuffle led to a heated exchange in a group chat later in the night before Valle and his friends went to the house party on Laurel Glenn Drive.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
1 June 2026
Noun
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However the failure to reach an agreement on the 100-billion Euro ($116 billion) project, which also includes Spain, underscores the struggles Europe has faced in rebuilding its military capacity after decades of underinvestment.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
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Dearica Hamby had 22 points with 12 rebounds, a solid response for the veteran forward following her struggles in recent games.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tussle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tussle. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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