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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Recent Examples of tussled
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
Instead, for days, migrants tussled with Mexican soldiers and auxiliary police officers, demanding to be let go, to enter the United States.
—Time, 4 Dec. 2025
As for her glam, her hair was tussled into a messy bun with fringe and wisps of hair to frame her face.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2025
The two economic powers have also tussled over lingering issues including tariffs, agricultural purchases, fentanyl flows, and geopolitical flashpoints such as Taiwan.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025
The only other time two 40-year-old starting QBs tussled was when the New Orleans Saints’ Drew Brees took down Tom Brady’s Bucs twice in the 2020 regular season, but Brady had the last laugh beating Brees in the playoffs en route to winning the Super Bowl.
—Coy Wire, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
This is not the first time Finkam and city councilors have tussled over management of the events and festivals Carmel has become known for.
—Jake Allen, IndyStar, 17 Sep. 2025
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
Instead, for days, migrants tussled with Mexican soldiers and auxiliary police officers, demanding to be let go, to enter the United States.
—Time, 4 Dec. 2025
As for her glam, her hair was tussled into a messy bun with fringe and wisps of hair to frame her face.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2025
The two economic powers have also tussled over lingering issues including tariffs, agricultural purchases, fentanyl flows, and geopolitical flashpoints such as Taiwan.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025
The only other time two 40-year-old starting QBs tussled was when the New Orleans Saints’ Drew Brees took down Tom Brady’s Bucs twice in the 2020 regular season, but Brady had the last laugh beating Brees in the playoffs en route to winning the Super Bowl.
—Coy Wire, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
This is not the first time Finkam and city councilors have tussled over management of the events and festivals Carmel has become known for.
—Jake Allen, IndyStar, 17 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tussled
Verb
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His brothers, Marcel and Anthony, wrestled at both Reavis and Oak Lawn.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
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The Frenchman wrestled an awful Alpine to 11 Q3 appearances in 2025 and brought in 100 percent of his team’s points.—
Alex Kalinauckas,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Firefighters fought the fire both inside and outside the house, and additional firefighters went inside to search for people.—
Staff Report,
Twin Cities,
11 Jan. 2026
-
And neither do the AI-skeptics who fought the hardest for it.—
Julie Samuels,
New York Daily News,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tussled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tussled. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
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