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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Noun
That has also led to high-profiles tussles with the likes of Epic Games, which has tried to challenge its control over in-app payments.—Aditya Soni, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026 Colorado had already piled up 106 points before Monday night’s Flames tussle and started the week on pace for 121 points on the season.—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
The officer then shoved Phillips, who tussled with the officer and took him to the ground.—David Hernandez, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Apr. 2026 But filings ahead of the hearing in the 3rd Business Court Division shed more light on the dispute that has co-owners Grant Shaw and Alessandro Bosco — and Shaw’s former father in law Tom Sansone — tussling over control of the business and its debt.—Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 27 Mar. 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