tussle

1 of 2

noun

tus·​sle ˈtə-səl How to pronounce tussle (audio)
Synonyms of tussle
1
: a physical contest or struggle : scuffle
2
: an intense argument, controversy, or struggle

tussle

2 of 2

verb

tussled; tussling ˈtə-s(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce tussle (audio)

intransitive verb

: to struggle roughly : scuffle

Synonyms of tussle

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Noun

Verb

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Examples of tussle in a Sentence

Noun The suspect was arrested after a tussle with a security guard. a tussle for control of the company The President is in for another tussle with Congress. Verb Two players tussled for the ball. The residents of the neighborhood tussled with city hall for years about the broken parking meters.
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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.
Noun
The Coastal Commission signed off on the project a few years ago, after tussles over low-cost housing provisions during the course of erecting yet another luxury hotel. — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 Firms and their VCs tussle for relevance, ownership, and board seats. — Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
He was seen dancing at San Diego Comic Con, getting arrested in Times Square, giving out free hugs on the Santa Monica Pier, and tussling with an AMC employee over a bag of popcorn. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 30 Aug. 2026 Another fight broke out at a Chicago baseball game, as fans tussled during the eighth inning of the series finale between the New York Mets and the White Sox at Rate Field on Sunday. — Evgenia Anastasakos, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tussle

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English (Scots) tussillen, frequentative of Middle English -tusen, -tousen to tousle — more at touse

First Known Use

Noun

1629, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1638, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tussle was in 1629

Rhymes for tussle

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Browse Nearby Words

tussive
tussle
tussock
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tussle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tussle. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

tussle

1 of 2 verb
tus·​sle ˈtəs-əl How to pronounce tussle (audio)
tussled; tussling
ˈtəs-(ə-)liŋ
: scuffle sense 1

tussle

2 of 2 noun
1
: a physical contest or struggle
2
: a rough argument or a struggle against difficult odds
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