Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - tussle

(tussles, tussling, tussled) 1. If one person tussles with another, or if they tussle, they get hold of each other and struggle or fight. They ended up ripping down perimeter fencing and tussling with the security staff... He grabbed my microphone and we tussled over that... James and Elliott tussled. V-RECIP: V with n, pl-n V over n, pl-n V • Tussle is also a noun. The referee booked him for a tussle with the goalie. N-COUNT 2. If one person tussles with another for something, or if they tussle for it, they try to beat each other in order to get it. (JOURNALISM) Pezzo tussled for fourth place with Orvosova... Officials tussled over who had responsibility for the newly fashionable unemployment agenda. V-RECIP: V for n with n, pl-n V for/over n • Tussle is also a noun. ...a legal tussle over who gets custody of the children. N-COUNT: usu with supp 3. If someone tussles with a difficult problem or issue, they try hard to solve it. (JOURNALISM) He is tussling with the problem of what to do about inflation. = wrestle VERB: V with n