tussle

Related to tousle.

• IPA^(key): /ˈtʌsəl/
• Rhymes: -ʌsəl
• Homophone: tussal

tussle (plural tussles)

1. A physical fight or struggle.
   • 2011 January 8, Paul Fletcher, “Stevenage 3 - 1 Newcastle”, in BBC‎:

     And the visiting side appeared to settle quickly as Wayne Routledge, who had a tough tussle with Stevenage left-back Scott Laird, delivered an early cross that Barton drilled goalwards, forcing a decent save from Chris Day.

   • 1994, Walter Dean Myers, The Glory Field‎, →ISBN, page 32:

     ..., two young men—field hands—got into a tussle with a white man.

2. A conflict, an argument, a disagreement.

tussle (third-person singular simple present tussles, present participle tussling, simple past and past participle tussled)

1. To have a tussle.

   The two sets of fans were tussling before the game.

   • 2011 October 22, Sam Sheringham, “Aston Villa 1 - 2 West Brom”, in BBC Sport‎:

     Olsson and Herd tussled off the ball at a free-kick before Olsson fell to the ground. Assistant referee Darren Cann signalled for a penalty and Dowd sent Herd off to the amazement of the Villa faithful.

• sutles