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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Recent Examples of tussling
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
The characters were distrustful of each other (because anybody could be the killer), and one of Warren’s favorite memories is the scene with her and Mull tussling to get out of a tight bar space at the same time.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 12 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
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
The characters were distrustful of each other (because anybody could be the killer), and one of Warren’s favorite memories is the scene with her and Mull tussling to get out of a tight bar space at the same time.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 12 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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The Congress is not wrestling with big or important questions right now.—
Scott Pelley,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
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Document management doesn’t have to mean chasing down signatures or wrestling with clunky PDF tools.—
StackCommerce Team,
PC Magazine,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Orange County fire officials said firefighters were fighting the blaze on the ground and from the air.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Viel also finished the game by fighting Podkolzin.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tussling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tussling. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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