to tussle

Examples

• All

• They'd fought before; he and Ben tussled rather, always more out of sport than anger.

  Fiction book (1995)

• You just tussled with the wrong cowboy.

  Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (2018)

• You like to get down and tussle a little bit?

  Out of Sight (1998)

• -So, we tussle a little bit...

  Zookeeper (2011)

• Every time you come to town, we tussle and then you run away, well not this time!

  Six Gun Savior (2016)

• Like I want to see my boys tussle with a Gator.

• The Red Bulls and United will tussle at Red Bull Arena at 8 p.m. Wednesday.

  Blog text (9)

• We tussled, but he's a big guy.

  Walking Tall (2004)

• Small boys start play-boxing, and when they end up tussling on the ground, their fathers laugh.

  Fiction book (2002)

• When she watched television, he whined until she got down on her knees and tussled with him.

  Fiction book (1991)

Synonyms

F

to fight

vsto tussle

∞ 1.0

To take part in a physical or verbal struggle against someone

focuses more on rough vigorous contact and close proximity

B

to battle

vsto tussle

372 2.7

To fight against someone or something for a long time

is much smaller and more immediate, not a long organised conflict

S

to struggle

vsto tussle

139 2.7

To fight against someone or something, often with great effort

is more about rough bodily contact than general effort

W

to wrestle

vsto tussle

123 1.8

To struggle physically by holding and trying to push someone or something down

is similar but broader, not limited to grappling actions

B

to brawl

vsto tussle

9 4.4

To fight loudly and violently in a public place

is usually smaller scale and less public or noisy

C

to come to blows

vsto tussle

8 6.5

To start fighting physically with someone after an argument

refers to the actual rough close fighting rather than just starting it

S

to slug it out

vsto tussle

• Informal

7 8.0

Fight or compete hard until one side wins

is typically shorter and less focused on deciding a winner

S

to scuffle

vsto tussle

4 5.1

To fight briefly at close range by pushing or grabbing

is rougher and more vigorous at very close quarters

F

to fistfight

vsto tussle

1 4.1

To hit another person with your bare hands in a fight

is less specific about which body parts are used

Antonyms

C

to cooperate

543 3.3

To work together with other people to reach the same goal

How Violent

brawl

60 4.6

to fight

∞ 1.0

to tussle

7 5.3

to scuffle

4 5.1

to jostle

22 4.4

Surface Forms

Etymology