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
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tussles
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
That plan was delayed for years by litigation from preservationists and legal and political tussles with Miami elected officials, including now former Mayor Francis Suarez, who tried to block demolition.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2026
Multiple unnecessary tussles with the SEC, including a settlement that cost him $20 million and his position of Tesla chair for three years.
—Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 31 Dec. 2025
As a result, high borrowing costs and legal tussles with restive foreign investors have left the country unable to take on debt abroad for most of the past two decades.
—Arkansas Online, 7 Dec. 2025
Winter’s vocal presence imagines a fearless indie oddball like Pavement’s Stephen Malkmus going for the full prattling gusto of the Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger; the band tussles and sways exhilaratingly underfoot.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
Winslet’s Julia and Riseborough’s Molly are forced to confront their long-running feud while everyone tussles with their bubbling grief.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 26 Nov. 2025
Paired with zucchini spears and pine nuts, your tongue tussles with pillowy soft textures and crunch.
—Lyndsay C. Green, Freep.com, 31 Oct. 2025
Lonergan has been in his fair share of tussles for minutes between the sticks and thinks, in a lot of cases, goalkeepers should be treated like outfield players, where in-form backups retain their starts.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
From Agnes’ brutal childbirth scenes to the wrenching heartbreak when the plague hits their household and takes 11-year-old Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe), Zhao immerses you in Agnes and Will’s grief while also touching on their own individual internal tussles.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
That plan was delayed for years by litigation from preservationists and legal and political tussles with Miami elected officials, including now former Mayor Francis Suarez, who tried to block demolition.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2026
Multiple unnecessary tussles with the SEC, including a settlement that cost him $20 million and his position of Tesla chair for three years.
—Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 31 Dec. 2025
As a result, high borrowing costs and legal tussles with restive foreign investors have left the country unable to take on debt abroad for most of the past two decades.
—Arkansas Online, 7 Dec. 2025
Winter’s vocal presence imagines a fearless indie oddball like Pavement’s Stephen Malkmus going for the full prattling gusto of the Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger; the band tussles and sways exhilaratingly underfoot.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
Winslet’s Julia and Riseborough’s Molly are forced to confront their long-running feud while everyone tussles with their bubbling grief.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 26 Nov. 2025
Paired with zucchini spears and pine nuts, your tongue tussles with pillowy soft textures and crunch.
—Lyndsay C. Green, Freep.com, 31 Oct. 2025
Lonergan has been in his fair share of tussles for minutes between the sticks and thinks, in a lot of cases, goalkeepers should be treated like outfield players, where in-form backups retain their starts.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tussles
Noun
-
And while his 11 years with the Yankees were often marked with verbal skirmishes with George Steinbrenner, in 1982 the Boss showed his respect for Nettles’ baseball acumen and quiet clubhouse leadership to name him the first Yankee captain since Thurman Munson’s death in 1979.—
Bill Madden,
New York Daily News,
31 Jan. 2026
-
These were not skirmishes but full-scale conflicts, usually costing tens—sometimes hundreds—of thousands of lives.—
Robert Kagan,
The Atlantic,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This season, silence is louder than words, loyalties are tested, and as each woman wrestles with the past, not everyone will make it to the other side the same.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
5 Jan. 2026
-
The police officer then wrestles Newman to the ground, and no shots are fired.—
Kate Reilly,
NBC news,
21 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Elizabeth was principled and compassionate while Jessica was carefree, outgoing and manipulative, and their clashes and crushes became a welcome distraction.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
-
In central states, climate change has sharpened competition over land and water, intensifying clashes between farmers and herders.—
Yusuf Tuggar,
semafor.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The case sparked a political scandal last year that led to the ouster of Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, and fueled new public anger at lingering corruption as Ukraine fights Russia in its four-year war.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The move comes as the administration simultaneously fights offshore wind projects in the Northeast, some of which are fully permitted or under construction.—
Garrett Downs,
CNBC,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The series of legal battles and a looming referendum take aim at an unprecedented special session in which lawmakers redrew the state’s congressional districts.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Almost fifty years ahead of the battles of World War II, the Marquis de Morès had faced death in order to avoid handing Africa over to the British and the Jews.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tussles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tussles. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
