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
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Recent Examples of tussled
Isaiah Stewart left the bench to confront Bridges, who responded with a punch, and the players tussled.
—
CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
Stewart left the bench to confront Bridges, who responded with a punch, and the players tussled.
—Steve Reed, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Pretti, who had disrupted law enforcement on at least one other occasion before his death, tussled with Border Patrol agents before he was shot dead last Saturday.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 3 Feb. 2026
Two hummingbirds tussled in low branches.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
Candidates for Cook County Board president also tussled in an endorsement session with the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board yesterday.
—Chicago Tribune, 27 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
As Green and the other man tussled, a man identified by police as Bryan Carter pulled out a gun, prompting a friend of Green to attempt to wrest away the weapon.
—Devan Patel, Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2025
The two students allegedly tussled on the ground and both had hands on the knife during the struggle — until the 18 year old gained control of the weapon and stabbed Graham through his sternum and into his heart, according to the outlet.
—Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025
CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
Stewart left the bench to confront Bridges, who responded with a punch, and the players tussled.
—Steve Reed, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Pretti, who had disrupted law enforcement on at least one other occasion before his death, tussled with Border Patrol agents before he was shot dead last Saturday.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 3 Feb. 2026
Two hummingbirds tussled in low branches.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
Candidates for Cook County Board president also tussled in an endorsement session with the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board yesterday.
—Chicago Tribune, 27 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
As Green and the other man tussled, a man identified by police as Bryan Carter pulled out a gun, prompting a friend of Green to attempt to wrest away the weapon.
—Devan Patel, Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2025
The two students allegedly tussled on the ground and both had hands on the knife during the struggle — until the 18 year old gained control of the weapon and stabbed Graham through his sternum and into his heart, according to the outlet.
—Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tussled
Verb
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Stocks swung wildly last week as investors wrestled with the impact of artificial intelligence on various sectors and the overall economy.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
28 Feb. 2026
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Earlier this century, poet and musician David Berman publicly wrestled with the conservative lobbying work done by his father, the lawyer Richard Berman.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Iran has threatened to attack American bases in the region if it is attacked, and an escalation could also draw in Israel, which fought a 12-day war with Iran in June.—
Matt Bradley,
NBC news,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The two foes fought a 12-day war in June.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tussled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tussled. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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