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
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
Analysts say Altman and Musk tussled over who would lead the company, and Musk lost.
—John Ruwitch, NPR, 27 Apr. 2026
Vanderbilt, who verbally tussled with Redick on Tuesday after playing just five minutes and receiving an early hook in the second quarter, played a team-high 25 minutes off the bench, contributing six rebounds and five assists.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 10 Apr. 2026
The officer then shoved Phillips, who tussled with the officer and took him to the ground.
—David Hernandez, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Apr. 2026
In downtown Hartford, Luari has tussled several times in court over unpaid rent with Lexington Partners, a part owner and manager of 5 Constitution Plaza where The Place 2 Be operates.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2026
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
Analysts say Altman and Musk tussled over who would lead the company, and Musk lost.
—John Ruwitch, NPR, 27 Apr. 2026
Vanderbilt, who verbally tussled with Redick on Tuesday after playing just five minutes and receiving an early hook in the second quarter, played a team-high 25 minutes off the bench, contributing six rebounds and five assists.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 10 Apr. 2026
The officer then shoved Phillips, who tussled with the officer and took him to the ground.
—David Hernandez, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Apr. 2026
In downtown Hartford, Luari has tussled several times in court over unpaid rent with Lexington Partners, a part owner and manager of 5 Constitution Plaza where The Place 2 Be operates.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tussled
Verb
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Miz and Axiom wrestled a nice, long match that was both of their best in years.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2026
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Police say the children's mother and a 20-year-old son wrestled Smerer to stop him from going any further.—
Joseph Buczek,
CBS News,
27 May 2026
Verb
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The memory of that episode—and of the country’s long and bloody civil war, fought from 1975 to 1990—still looms.—
Euan Ward,
New Yorker,
29 May 2026
-
José Palma, national coordinator of the National TPS Alliance — an advocacy group that has fought in federal courts against the cancellation of TPS for several countries—welcomed the extension of protections for the Lebanese.—
Gisela Salomon,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tussled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tussled. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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