tussle

plural tussles

1. A physical fight or struggle.

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

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

   1 more example

   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.

   2011 January 8, Paul Fletcher, “Stevenage 3 - 1 Newcastle”, in BBC

2. A conflict, an argument, a disagreement.

present singular third person tussles · participle present tussling · participle past tussled · past tussled

1. To have a tussle.

   The two sets of fans were tussling before the game.

   1 more example

   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.

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