as in to disrupt
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
his grandfather would always tousle the boy's neatly combed hair
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tousle
The waves weren't precise or uniform in shape, but rather looked as though they'd been styled with a three-barrel iron, then roughed up and tousled for an undone finish.
—
Kara Nesvig, Allure, 25 Jan. 2024
For that morning’s scene, her light-auburn hair had been artfully curled and tousled by her longtime hairdresser, Frédéric Souquet.
—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2023
Both the royal and the presidential couples appeared to struggle with a strong wind, which tousled Macron’s hair and forced Camilla to hold on tightly to her pink, beret-style hat.
—Sylvie Corbet, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2023
Follow-up videos then showed the mom-of-four posing with her hair tousled to one side and pouting her lips with a hand held up to her face.
—Jill Lupupa, Peoplemag, 28 July 2023
See all Example Sentences for tousle 
Kara Nesvig, Allure, 25 Jan. 2024
For that morning’s scene, her light-auburn hair had been artfully curled and tousled by her longtime hairdresser, Frédéric Souquet.
—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2023
Both the royal and the presidential couples appeared to struggle with a strong wind, which tousled Macron’s hair and forced Camilla to hold on tightly to her pink, beret-style hat.
—Sylvie Corbet, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2023
Follow-up videos then showed the mom-of-four posing with her hair tousled to one side and pouting her lips with a hand held up to her face.
—Jill Lupupa, Peoplemag, 28 July 2023
See all Example Sentences for tousle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tousle
Verb
-
Focus on unlikely but possible events that could massively disrupt the market.Jodie Cook, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
-
Plans to position it as an awards-season contender were disrupted when Italy snubbed Oscar-winner Sorrentino and chose Maura Delpero’s Venice Silver Lion winner Vermiglio as its entry for best international feature.Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
The same account posted a separate video showing a woman collecting her jacket from the back of her chair and shuffling past other people to get out of the row.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
-
Things could be shuffled here soon after three linemen left the game with injuries.Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
The photos, not graphic but disturbing all the same, were allegedly taken at the scene of the Delphi murders — the double homicide of two best friends, Abigail Williams, 13, and Liberty German, 14, in rural Delphi, Indiana, in 2017.Aja Romano, Vox, 11 Nov. 2024
-
The skit started with the actors seeming disturbed.Dennis Romero, NBC News, 10 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
The team wants Alex Mill to be more of a household name brand without getting too big to manage properly, or so expansive as to confuse the customer with many fashion messages.David Moin, WWD, 18 Nov. 2024
-
San Francisco sued Oakland for infringing its airport’s trademarks in April, arguing the Oakland airport’s similar new name would confuse travelers.Reuters, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near tousle
Cite this Entry
“Tousle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tousle. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share