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
Her hair, styled by her go-to hairstylist, Tym Wallace, was brushed over to one side and tousled at the crown for a little volume, with the length hitting right below her cheekbone at a sharp angle.
—
Kara Nesvig, Allure, 4 Sep. 2024
Appleton was in charge of recreating Barrymore’s golden tresses by skillfully applying a wig that was tousled just the right amount.
—Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 6 June 2024
The Kylie Skin founder winked at the camera and shared a pout before shaking her head from side to side and tousling her hair.
—Jenny Haward, Peoplemag, 6 Apr. 2024
To round out all the looks, model Precious Lee wore her hair tousled into an updo, with just a touch of lip gloss to end the week.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 2 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for tousle
Kara Nesvig, Allure, 4 Sep. 2024
Appleton was in charge of recreating Barrymore’s golden tresses by skillfully applying a wig that was tousled just the right amount.
—Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 6 June 2024
The Kylie Skin founder winked at the camera and shared a pout before shaking her head from side to side and tousling her hair.
—Jenny Haward, Peoplemag, 6 Apr. 2024
To round out all the looks, model Precious Lee wore her hair tousled into an updo, with just a touch of lip gloss to end the week.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 2 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for tousle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tousle
Verb
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The industry’s year of strikes in 2023 also disrupted the flow of Hollywood movie releases to the local multiplex.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
11 July 2025
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Frequent use can disrupt normal bowel function and lead to laxative dependence or chronic constipation.7 Only use castor oil under medical guidance.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Verywell Health,
11 July 2025
Verb
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Fuller has pushed back on these claims by sharing the app's source code for shuffling and dealing virtual cards.—
Andrew Montequin,
jsonline.com,
29 July 2025
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The Dolphins’ shuffling along the offensive line can be viewed through two different prisms.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
24 July 2025
Verb
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The indictment against Bolsonaro, as florid as a telenovela script, included disturbing allegations, such as a plot to poison Lula and kill Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.—
Shannon Sims,
New Yorker,
30 July 2025
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When disturbed, the fungus releases spores that can cause severe respiratory infections, particularly in people with weakened immune systems.—
Justin Stebbing,
JSTOR Daily,
24 July 2025
Verb
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Baun’s ability to play on the line of scrimmage allowed defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to shift the front with Baun moving from off-ball to edge or vice versa right before the snap, confusing the blocking assignments for the offense.—
Ted Nguyen,
New York Times,
23 July 2025
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By 1915, scientists unearthed 2 million bones of large animals from La Brea, and a pattern emerged that both excited and confused them: too many predators.—
Ian Rose,
JSTOR Daily,
23 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tousle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tousle. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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