tussle
Americanverb (used without object)
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tussles,
present (3rd person singular)
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tussled,
past participle, past
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tussling
present participle
noun
-
a rough physical contest or struggle; scuffle.
-
any vigorous or determined struggle, conflict, etc..
I had quite a tussle with that chemistry exam.
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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tusslesimple
-
tusslessimple
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have tussledperfect
-
has tussledperfect
-
am tusslingprogressive
-
are tusslingprogressive
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is tusslingprogressive
-
have been tusslingperfect progressive
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has been tusslingperfect progressive
Past
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tussledsimple
-
had tussledperfect
-
was tusslingprogressive
-
were tusslingprogressive
-
had been tusslingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of tussle
1425–75; late Middle English (north and Scots ) tusillen, derivative ( see -le) of tusen to touse
Explanation
A tussle is a rowdy fight. If the rambunctious kids you're babysitting get into a tussle, you may have to separate them for a while and calm them down. Though a tussle is often a physical fight, it's rarely a serious one. Two wrestling dogs, a couple of scuffling teenagers — these are examples of tussles. The word tussle is Scottish, a variant of touselen, which is related to tousle, or "dishevel or muss," which you might do to a little kid's hair. The root of both is the Old English tousen, "handle or push about roughly."
Vocabulary lists containing tussle
Freak the Mighty
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Hoot
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Beowulf: A New Telling
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The settlement announced Thursday brings to a close a two-year legal tussle between the family of Jason Maccani and the city’s lawyers over his 2024 death.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
The former Arsenal forward also opened the scoring against Bosnia before getting sent off in the 64th minute after a tussle with Muharemovic for a looping ball.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
Nvidia – which last October became the first publicly-traded firm to be valued at $5tn – has long been at the centre of a tussle between the US and China over trade and national security.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
The other piece of this is that for a while, there was this tussle between lower courts and the Supreme Court.
From Slate ● Jun. 1, 2026
There was a tussle, and Kanue was briefly suspended.
From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John
Bessent has become one of Trump’s most trusted advisers after previous tussles with other Trump allies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Before Robby and Al-Hashimi engage in any real ideological tussles, though, she commits the cardinal sin of suggesting they change the trauma center’s nickname to something else.
From Salon ● Jan. 8, 2026
High on the to-do list will be ensuring the economy is ready for another round of tussles with the U.S., as signaled by the emphasis Chinese leaders have placed on reducing reliance on foreign technology.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 9, 2025
The front pages are already featuring flashes of unhappiness, like the tussles between the Treasury and Angela Rayner, who'll be with us in the studio tomorrow, alongside Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch.
From BBC ● May 24, 2025
He reaches out and tussles at my hair.
From "Freak The Mighty" by Rodman Philbrick
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has spent the past year trying to act as a bridge while Trump tussled with other European leaders over tariffs, Ukraine and Greenland.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
In 2025, the US president went as far as visiting the Fed's under-renovation headquarters, where he verbally tussled with Powell as the two toured the site.
From Barron's ● Mar. 30, 2026
Between 1924 and 1927 Sir Malcolm and his friend and rival, Wrexham engineer John Godfrey Parry Thomas tussled for top spot.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2025
The car maker has previously tussled with California workplace safety regulators over conditions at the Fremont plant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 11, 2025
He was sniffed and tussled with and rolled over in the grass until he felt almost as though he were being attacked.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
While tussling for the ball, he stepped directly on an opponent’s ankle and received a straight red card, which will keep him out of the next game.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
His attentiveness will be closely watched in the Maduro case, as tussling between the defense and prosecution has already threatened to draw out proceedings.
From Barron's ● Mar. 24, 2026
Trump has spent decades tussling with residents and politicians over development projects that changed city skylines from New York to Chicago.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 16, 2025
Videos on social media showed tussling between protesters, some wearing what appeared to be traditional indigenous dress, and security guards.
From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2025
He did not begin tussling with her like he used to do.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
