as in skirmishes
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
a small tussle on the basketball court was quickly broken up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in wrestles
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tussles
Leo Barraclough, Variety, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent earnings call tussles indicate that Target is far from that position.
—Noah Barsky, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Noun
Nick, who is the character closest to Jenkin’s own personality, tussles with a dilemma.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent earnings call tussles indicate that Target is far from that position.
—Noah Barsky, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tussles
Noun
-
Meanwhile, Desmond Castle stands watch beyond the village park—its stone battlements and arrow slits recalling Norman skirmishes and feudal lords.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
-
Of all the conflicts Trump has involved himself in since returning to the White House, the skirmishes over a colonial-era border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia may be the smallest.—
Matthew Tostevin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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D'Vontaye Mitchell's widow still wrestles with grief In her letter, Harmon said all four men need to be held accountable in Mitchell's death and that she is still traumatized by memory of receiving the call informing her that her husband was gone.—
Chris Ramirez,
jsonline.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Treutelaar, who also wrestles and plays lacrosse, attended football camps at Georgia, Illinois, Kansas State, Northwestern and Ohio State this summer and plans to follow in the footsteps of his father, Justin, a former Purdue long snapper.—
Bobby Narang,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Thailand has been in political turmoil since, ever since deadly border clashes with Cambodian forces.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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Meanwhile, his mercurial style and public controversies, from social media firestorms to clashes with regulators, have brought volatility to Tesla’s stock and reputation.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Four months ago when the Suns’ season concluded, Ishbia discussed the value of having a gritty, resilient group that fights hard defensively for the entire game, not just in flashes.—
Shane Young,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
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Folk performer Barun Sarma fights to revive lost traditions and expose the devastating impact of arsenic contamination from tube wells that are now turning his village into a cancer hotspot.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
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As a smart two-way player who can win board battles and create offense off the rush, Celebrini’s game translated extremely favorably to the pro ranks.—
Chris Johnston,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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Launched in 2003, this sci-fi MMORPG has played host to epic spaceship battles and intergalactic heists on a scale that most other multiplayer games can only dream of.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tussles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tussles. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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