1
: a physical contest or struggle : scuffle
2
: an intense argument, controversy, or struggle
Synonyms
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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 23 Oct. 2024
The differing visions for Building 13 are part of a larger tussle over construction plans that will shape the character of the veterans’ land for decades.
—Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2024
E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2024
On a personal level, Musk would benefit from getting the Securities and Exchange Commission off his back after years of tussling with the agency.
—Nathan Bomey, Axios, 3 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tussle 
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
Amid a widening gap between AI players in the U.S. and the rest of the market, and CEOs’ ongoing tussles over regulation in Europe, businesses on the continent leveraging AI to find efficiencies represent the best chance of Europe closing the gap with the States.
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 23 Oct. 2024
The differing visions for Building 13 are part of a larger tussle over construction plans that will shape the character of the veterans’ land for decades.
—Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2024
Verb
That night, Ahn Gwi-ryeong, a spokesperson for the Democratic Party, tussled with a special-forces soldier outside the National Assembly.
—E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2024
On a personal level, Musk would benefit from getting the Securities and Exchange Commission off his back after years of tussling with the agency.
—Nathan Bomey, Axios, 3 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tussle
Dictionary Entries Near tussle
Cite this Entry
“Tussle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tussle. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tussle
2 of 2 noun1
: a physical contest or struggle
2
: a rough argument or a struggle against difficult odds
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share