tussling

present participle of tussle
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 tussling 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
  • Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate are now wrestling under different monikers as part of their new masked gimmick.
    Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
  • With Austin Reaves shooing Hachimura off-stage and playfully wrestling the mic away.
    Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Meet Nashville's new crime-fighting Clydesdale Metro Nashville mounted patrol officer Michael Douglas squeezed a three-foot-long rubber chicken, producing an increasingly louder and closer screeching sound to try and provoke a 1,700-pound Clydesdale named Ross.
    Laura L. Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 6 Oct. 2025
  • The event, launched in 1982, celebrates the freedom to read and express ideas and emphasizes the importance of fighting censorship.
    Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 5 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Tussling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tussling. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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