tussled

past tense of tussle
as in wrestled
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

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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 tussled His bed, once artfully tussled, is a feat of military-tight corners. — Sam Cochran, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2026 For decades, Coke and Pepsi have tussled over important restaurant partners, which represent both a sales opportunity and the chance to grow the visibility of their beverage brands. — Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026 After Lewandowski tussled with Inter Miami defender Ian Fray, De Paul approached Lewandowski aggressively and proceeded to recite the latest accomplishments on his résumé. — Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 Madden tussled with the co-op, at one point unsuccessfully trying to buy the fourth-floor apartment to make a duplex of her own. — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2026 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 Christian and Emmett, now 9 and 11, were home for summer break while her beloved white-and-tan corgis tussled nearby. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 30 July 2026 Over the past month, the administration has tussled with Anthropic and OpenAI over releasing their latest models to the public. — Jared Perlo, NBC news, 29 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tussled
Verb
  • Wendy’s has wrestled with inflation like other fast food chains and lower-income customers have cut down on visits as the company raised prices to combat rising labor, food and packaging costs.
    — Dee-Ann Durbin, Chicago Tribune, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The show has similarly wrestled with a choice between depicting old-money luxury or something more grounded and attainable.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • What’s so vexing about the futility is people had such high expectations for this team, which still has a lot of the players who fought through injuries and won 11 games in each of the past two seasons.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2026
  • Missing three starters, Orlando didn’t back down, fought hard throughout the night and forced overtime inside Chase Center.
    — Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Tussled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tussled. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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