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
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Recent Examples of tussling
The sheriff's office released body camera footage showing a 30-second clip of Rivas tussling with the alligator.
—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
Two boys tussling over a bladder in a three-foot-high canvas painted by Joseph Wright of Derby in the late 1760s snarl up in a whirlpool of pain, each twisting the other’s right ear.
—
Julian Bell,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
But filings ahead of the hearing in the 3rd Business Court Division shed more light on the dispute that has co-owners Grant Shaw and Alessandro Bosco — and Shaw’s former father in law Tom Sansone — tussling over control of the business and its debt.
—
Paul Flahive,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Mar. 2026
So that tussle is still tussling.
—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
9 Mar. 2026
The pair were caught tussling several times before Palmerston retired in 2020.
—
Jill Lawless,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Would Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic stay on the right side of the match officials when tussling with Gabriel and William Saliba?
—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
21 Jan. 2026
Yet the index has sagged to the bottom of this two-month range and is again tussling with its 50-day moving average.
—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
16 Dec. 2025
As a longtime Boulder resident, Dan used to climb the trees that were adjacent to Folsom in the ’70s to get a glimpse of CU tussling with those Oklahoma and Nebraska teams of old.
—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
23 Nov. 2025
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
Two boys tussling over a bladder in a three-foot-high canvas painted by Joseph Wright of Derby in the late 1760s snarl up in a whirlpool of pain, each twisting the other’s right ear.
—
Julian Bell,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
But filings ahead of the hearing in the 3rd Business Court Division shed more light on the dispute that has co-owners Grant Shaw and Alessandro Bosco — and Shaw’s former father in law Tom Sansone — tussling over control of the business and its debt.
—
Paul Flahive,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Mar. 2026
So that tussle is still tussling.
—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
9 Mar. 2026
The pair were caught tussling several times before Palmerston retired in 2020.
—
Jill Lawless,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Would Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic stay on the right side of the match officials when tussling with Gabriel and William Saliba?
—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
21 Jan. 2026
Yet the index has sagged to the bottom of this two-month range and is again tussling with its 50-day moving average.
—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
16 Dec. 2025
As a longtime Boulder resident, Dan used to climb the trees that were adjacent to Folsom in the ’70s to get a glimpse of CU tussling with those Oklahoma and Nebraska teams of old.
—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
23 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tussling
Verb
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While struggling at home, Starmer has earned praise for his response to global conflicts, sometimes appearing more at home at international summits than when wrestling with the details of domestic policy.
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After granting his request to aid his cause, Sharako insists that the uptight Lannister prove his worth by wrestling her in a mud pit.
Verb
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Then some classic fighting soldiers — not American Revolution battles but intergalactic — come blended into the metal music gyrations of the helmet-wearing band Galactic Empire.
-
As with fighting the coronavirus pandemic and the climate crisis, the urgency of the problem will likely only sink in when the need arises.
Cite this Entry
“Tussling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tussling. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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