TUSSLES Synonyms: 82 Similar and Opposite Words

tussles 1 of 2

noun

plural of tussle

as in skirmishes

a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups a small tussle on the basketball court was quickly broken up

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

truces

tussles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of tussle

as in wrestles

to seize and attempt to unbalance one another for the purpose of achieving physical mastery puppies tussling with one another, rolling over and over on the carpet

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of tussles

Noun

That movie’s absurdities didn’t occur onscreen but in the subsequent legal tussles between its star, Blake Lively, and its director and co-star, Justin Baldoni. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026 On Day 7, upsets and tussles, a huge deficit in the draws and a college tennis honor. — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026 The Coastal Commission signed off on the project a few years ago, after tussles over low-cost housing provisions during the course of erecting yet another luxury hotel. — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 In the 1997 film, the title character (Brendan Fraser) tussles with the beast before rescuing Ursula (Mann). — Erin Jensen, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026 There haven’t been any tussles so far in this year’s sessions, but camp is young, and the pads come on Monday. — Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026 As his tussles with grief and sobriety and heartbreak appear in flashes, so do red and blue police lights. — Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 26 June 2026 The legal tussles boil down to whether the federal government or the states have primary authority to oversee prediction markets, which allow users to bet on the outcome of sports, elections and many other events. — Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 24 June 2026 That Jonas is, himself, a former boy band star who has at times gone it alone, lends the movie a direct connection to contemporary music, where tussles over authorship are increasingly common. — ABC News, 3 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tussles

Noun

This leads to even more behind-the-scenes skirmishes laced with character-centric comedy, as opposing factions align.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Ties between the two countries remain strained over their long-running Himalayan border dispute, which erupted into a deadly skirmishes in 2020 that saw soldiers from both sides use rocks and iron rods in brutal hand-to-hand combat.

— Helen Regan, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of skirmishes

Verb

Each also wrestles with the devastated idealism of our times.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
Tallinn’s Critics’ Picks strand spotlights films with a clear artistic point of view and a fresh take on storytelling, including work that wrestles with genre, cinema’s past and the social issues of the moment.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of wrestles

Noun

However, more than a year later, clashes continue in eastern Congo, and experts say negotiations will become even more complicated with Kabila in a leadership position.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
Main roads leading Yemen’s third-largest city have been closed amid rebel attacks, with regular clashes on the outskirts and overnight bombardment.

— Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of clashes

Verb

As Ukraine fights a larger, richer and better-equipped enemy, Kyiv sees the strikes on Russian oil refineries as one of its few instruments to reduce Moscow’s ability to fight.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
Gemma, still recovering from her injury, fights her impulses and stays on the sideline.

— Keith Phipps, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of fights

Noun

Policy Policy Your guide to the Supreme Court, federal courts, judicial nominations, and the legal battles shaping American policy.

— Washington Examiner, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2026
That changed after the 2020 presidential election, when secretaries of state in places such as Arizona, Georgia and Michigan were thrust into battles over election results, certification and false claims of widespread fraud.

— Thom Reilly, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of battles

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tussled

tussles

tussling

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Style

“Tussles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tussles. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of tussles

noun

verb

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