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
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Recent Examples of tussled
But the Americans tussled right back, and never totally lost their cool.
—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
20 June 2026
Bowser tussled with Trump for much of 2025 over deploying the National Guard and briefly taking over the city's police department while cooperating with the White House on other matters such as clearing homeless encampments.
—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who tussled with Dolan over his decision to cancel MSG's outdoor watch party Wednesday night, kept his focus on the game and the excitement of the Knicks' historic come-from-behind victory on Thursday.
—
Marcia Kramer,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
The Buffs and Rams have tussled 34 times in the last 43 years, with CU winning 26 of the matchups.
—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
10 June 2026
The two Democrats have frequently tussled for moral high ground over their connections to industries that voters might see as unsavory.
—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
27 May 2026
Kevin Keegan and Arsene Wenger tussled with Sir Alex Ferguson, and in the years that followed, Jose Mourinho and Rafa Benitez battled in the league and in Europe.
—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
As had happened when the Patent Office and the State Department had briefly tussled over control of the Declaration back in the 1870s, the question of custody was a thorny one.
—
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained.
—
ABC News,
8 May 2026
Sean Gregory,
Time,
20 June 2026
Bowser tussled with Trump for much of 2025 over deploying the National Guard and briefly taking over the city's police department while cooperating with the White House on other matters such as clearing homeless encampments.
—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who tussled with Dolan over his decision to cancel MSG's outdoor watch party Wednesday night, kept his focus on the game and the excitement of the Knicks' historic come-from-behind victory on Thursday.
—
Marcia Kramer,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
The Buffs and Rams have tussled 34 times in the last 43 years, with CU winning 26 of the matchups.
—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
10 June 2026
The two Democrats have frequently tussled for moral high ground over their connections to industries that voters might see as unsavory.
—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
27 May 2026
Kevin Keegan and Arsene Wenger tussled with Sir Alex Ferguson, and in the years that followed, Jose Mourinho and Rafa Benitez battled in the league and in Europe.
—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
As had happened when the Patent Office and the State Department had briefly tussled over control of the Declaration back in the 1870s, the question of custody was a thorny one.
—
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained.
—
ABC News,
8 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tussled
Verb
-
Up in the stands, fans waved their own flags — including some sneaked in over the objections of FIFA and the courts — and wrestled with emotions, as boos, howls and hisses rained down from all corners of the stadium.
-
The Seahawks wrestled the division from the Rams in Week 16 when quarterback Sam Darnold completed a do-or-die 2-pointer to tight end Eric Saubert for a 38-37 overtime victory.
Verb
-
As visitors like Fulkerson settled into folding chairs arranged along the same grassy knoll where John Brown and his followers fought their way into the red-brick armory, Kerwin rose, stepped to the microphone and looked out at the crowd gathered before her.
-
While the Civil War was fought far from Pittsburgh's streets, its impact can still be found here today — in the graves of arsenal workers, in the medals of hometown heroes, and in the stories preserved for future generations.
Cite this Entry
“Tussled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tussled. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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