tussle
verb (used without object)
to struggle or fight roughly or vigorously; wrestle; scuffle.
tussled
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past participleof tussle.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof tussle.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
tussleverb (used without object)to struggle or fight roughly or vigorously; wrestle; scuffle.
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.
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
In 2017, it tussled about management succession with activist investor Christopher Hohn’s TCI Fund Management.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 11, 2026
She also tussled with Bass behind closed doors in late January, as revealed in text messages obtained by The Times that highlighted an increasingly fractious relationship.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2025
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
I tussled with her as she tried to calm me down, to move me away from the brazier, lest in my frenzy I should tip it over.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
