as in to disrupt
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
his grandfather would always tousle the boy's neatly combed hair
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Recent Examples of tousle
Whether it was tousled by hand or pulled back in a tortoiseshell headband, Bessette’s length and color followed the same effortless code of her wardrobe, leaving us with enduring hair inspiration even after her untimely passing.
—
Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 5 Mar. 2026
Winn has a lean, tan face and tousled blond hair befitting his California lifestyle.
—Sarah Todd, STAT, 20 Feb. 2026
The result appeared toward the end of the post, which included a photo of Stamos checking out his new look and a video of Capri tousling his hair.
—Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026
In that original viral campaign launch video, a bearded Platner, his strawberry blonde hair tousled, introduced Maine voters to the issues central to his platform, namely, broad economic populism, taxing billionaires, and universal healthcare.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tousle
Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 5 Mar. 2026
Winn has a lean, tan face and tousled blond hair befitting his California lifestyle.
—Sarah Todd, STAT, 20 Feb. 2026
The result appeared toward the end of the post, which included a photo of Stamos checking out his new look and a video of Capri tousling his hair.
—Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026
In that original viral campaign launch video, a bearded Platner, his strawberry blonde hair tousled, introduced Maine voters to the issues central to his platform, namely, broad economic populism, taxing billionaires, and universal healthcare.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tousle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tousle
Verb
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Allen was injured but was not shot during the April 25 attack at the Washington Hilton, which disrupted one of the highest-profile annual events in the nation’s capital.—
Michael Kunzelman,
Los Angeles Times,
5 May 2026
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Several airlines are offering limited-time fares to help accommodate passengers whose travel plans have been disrupted by Spirit’s closure.—
Scott Laird,
Travel + Leisure,
4 May 2026
Verb
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MotoGP also had to shuffle its schedule due to the conflict in the Middle East, postponing the Qatar Grand Prix to November.—
Justin Birnbaum,
Sportico.com,
7 May 2026
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But sometimes, simply shuffling the pieces can help, in our view.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Remaining quiet and respectful increases the chances of observing bears in their natural habitat without disturbing them.—
Debbie Olsen,
Travel + Leisure,
2 May 2026
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Coherence unravels strange events and disturbing moments that are sure to thrill.—
Grace Dean,
Space.com,
2 May 2026
Verb
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But when an audition for the sixth film came through, he was initially confused by the prospect of rejoining a franchise in which his character had already died.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
2 May 2026
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The Pace exhibition also included photographs of unidentified objects orbiting Earth and kite-like sculptures resembling military satellites designed to confuse enemy radars.—
Louis Bury,
ARTnews.com,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tousle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tousle. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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