tussle
Americanverb (used without object)
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
Etymology
Origin of tussle
1425–75; late Middle English (north and Scots ) tusillen, derivative ( -le ) of tusen to touse
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.
The boys dive for a velvet armchair and tussle for a moment before realizing they both fit.
From Literature
I went to dinner that night all set for a tussle.
From Literature
His latest ad debuts during Animal Planet’s “Puppy Bowl,” a pregame show that features two teams of adoptable dogs tussling over toys in a model football stadium.
From Los Angeles Times
The public tussle tarnished the Burbank company’s clean image and undermined its goal of entertaining the masses, no matter their political stripes.
From Los Angeles Times
The changes made to the bill will be considered by MPs during the parliamentary tussle known as "ping-pong", which sees legislation move between the Commons and Lords until agreement on its wording is reached.
From BBC
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.
