as in wrestling
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 tussling
Things got testy with the Mammoth jamming away at Korpisalo after the whistle and Nikita Zadorov took issue with it, tussling with Brandon Tanev.
—
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 20 Oct. 2025
This could open up space for another Chelsea player to attack, but an arm in the air from the corner taker is usually a sign for Cucurella to trot back into the box, tussling with his defender and making a nuisance of himself on the way back.
—Thom Harris, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
The unaccompanied minor change was made at least partially in response to a viral video that showed a group of teens tussling near a row of carnival games.
—Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 5 Aug. 2025
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 20 Oct. 2025
This could open up space for another Chelsea player to attack, but an arm in the air from the corner taker is usually a sign for Cucurella to trot back into the box, tussling with his defender and making a nuisance of himself on the way back.
—Thom Harris, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
The unaccompanied minor change was made at least partially in response to a viral video that showed a group of teens tussling near a row of carnival games.
—Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tussling
Verb
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Almeida is extremely likely to have wrestling success early in this fight, and the question becomes whether Volkov can survive and extend the matchup.—
Brett Appley,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Army's approach evolving, but geography is a barrier The Army, which has the largest share of part-time troops among the military branches, is wrestling with the challenges of ensuring its reservists are fit to fight.—
Davis Winkie,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That’s after the consumer price index for September inched up but came in below forecasts, clearing the way for the Fed to focus more on the maximum-employment side of its mandate than the inflation-fighting side.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
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In reality, while the ceasefire has paused fighting and allowed limited humanitarian access, the deal leaves major issues unresolved — including Hamas’ future role, the disarmament question, and the political control of Gaza.—
Amanda Greenwood,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tussling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tussling. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
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