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 two police officers soon confronted the pair, who were riding their bikes down an alley, when a tussle ensued, the report says. — Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026 The results are only so-so as Tony Stark tussles with PTSD, criminally underused antagonist Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) and yawn-worthy villain Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce). — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2026
Verb
Christian and Emmett, now 9 and 11, were home for summer break while her beloved white-and-tan corgis tussled nearby. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 30 July 2026 Two people with divergent intuitions about what’s normal, or endurable, can end up tussling over the same territory. — Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 15 July 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 14 Aug. 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

More from Merriam-Webster on tussle

Nglish: Translation of tussle for Spanish Speakers

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