Illustration of tackle
- tackle 2b
1
: a set of the equipment used in a particular activity : gear
fishing tackle
2
a
: a ship's rigging
b
: an assemblage of ropes and pulleys arranged to gain mechanical advantage for hoisting and pulling
3
a
: the act or an instance of tackling
b(1)
: either of two offensive football players positioned on each side of the center and between guard and end
(2)
: either of two football players positioned on the inside of a defensive line
tackled; tackling
ˈta-k(ə-)liŋ 
1
a
: to seize, take hold of, or grapple with especially with the intention of stopping or subduing
b
: to seize and throw down or stop (an opposing player with the ball) in football
2
: to set about dealing with
tackle the problem
3
: to attach or secure with or as if with tackle
: to tackle an opposing player in football
Examples of tackle in a Sentence
Noun
a box for fishing tackle
He made two tackles in the first half.
Verb
The police officer tackled him as he tried to escape.
He was tackled at the line of scrimmage.
I'll tackle my homework later.
We found new ways to tackle the problem.
Recent Examples on the Web
Nate Taylor, The Athletic, 11 Mar. 2025
The star defender posted 24 total tackles and five sacks for the Eagles last season.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025
An Intimate Shared Experience With music that often tackles and attempts to resolve difficult emotions, the sessions at Við Djúpið can begin to feel like therapy.
—Anna Haines, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tackle
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Patrick Mahomes gets a new left tackle March 10: The Chiefs acquired their new left tackle, agreeing to a two-year contract worth more than $30 million with $21.2 million guaranteed with former 49ers offensive lineman Jaylon Moore, according to a league source.
—Nate Taylor, The Athletic, 11 Mar. 2025
The star defender posted 24 total tackles and five sacks for the Eagles last season.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
Verb
Guests using Universal Play will also be able to earn points for their Hogwarts house and tackle exclusive adventures with the new wands.
—Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025
An Intimate Shared Experience With music that often tackles and attempts to resolve difficult emotions, the sessions at Við Djúpið can begin to feel like therapy.
—Anna Haines, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tackle
Cite this Entry
“Tackle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tackle. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
1
: a set of special equipment : gear
fishing tackle
2
: an arrangement of ropes and wheels for hoisting or pulling something heavy
3
a
: the act or an instance of tackling
b
: a football player who is positioned on the line of scrimmage and inside the ends
tackle
2 of 2 verb
tackled; tackling
ˈtak-(ə-)liŋ
1
: to seize or take hold of especially in order to stop or throw down
2
: to set about dealing with
tackle a problem
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