tackle

1 of 2

noun

tack·​le ˈta-kəl How to pronounce tackle (audio)
nautical often
ˈtā- How to pronounce tackle (audio)
1
: a set of the equipment used in a particular activity : gear
fishing tackle
2
a
: a ship's rigging
b
: an assemblage of ropes and pulleys arranged to gain mechanical advantage for hoisting and pulling
3
a
: the act or an instance of tackling
b(1)
: either of two offensive football players positioned on each side of the center and between guard and end
(2)
: either of two football players positioned on the inside of a defensive line

Illustration of tackle

Illustration of tackle
  • tackle 2b

tackle

2 of 2

verb

tackled; tackling ˈta-k(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce tackle (audio)

transitive verb

1
a
: to seize, take hold of, or grapple with especially with the intention of stopping or subduing
b
: to seize and throw down or stop (an opposing player with the ball) in football
2
: to set about dealing with
tackle the problem
3
: to attach or secure with or as if with tackle

intransitive verb

: to tackle an opposing player in football
tackler noun

Examples of tackle in a Sentence

Noun a box for fishing tackle He made two tackles in the first half. Verb The police officer tackled him as he tried to escape. He was tackled at the line of scrimmage. I'll tackle my homework later. We found new ways to tackle the problem.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Advertisement After catching a short pass, Cardinals running back James Conner ran through two tackles on the next play, stretching what should have been a modest gain into a 33-yard backbreaker. Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2024 Defensive Player of the Week Jackson Hopper, Pieper: senior, defensive back – Hopper had three interceptions and four tackles in the Warriors’ 49-35 win against New Braunfels. David Hinojosa, San Antonio Express-News, 21 Oct. 2024
Verb
The first large-scale attempt to tackle these issues as a community was done in March 2024. Vincent Danen, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024 Costa-Gavras’ 22-feature filmography tackling key issues of contemporary world politics over the past 60 years includes such Oscar-winner Z (1969), Cannes Palme d’Or winner Missing (1982), and Hanna K (1983). Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tackle 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tackle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English takel; akin to Middle Dutch takel ship's rigging

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1600, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of tackle was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near tackle

Cite this Entry

“Tackle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tackle. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

tackle

1 of 2 noun
tack·​le ˈtak-əl How to pronounce tackle (audio)
nautical often
ˈtāk- How to pronounce tackle (audio)
1
: a set of special equipment : gear
fishing tackle
2
: an arrangement of ropes and wheels for hoisting or pulling something heavy
3
a
: the act or an instance of tackling
b
: a football player who is positioned on the line of scrimmage and inside the ends

tackle

2 of 2 verb
tackled; tackling ˈtak-(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce tackle (audio)
1
: to seize or take hold of especially in order to stop or throw down
2
: to set about dealing with
tackle a problem
tackler noun

More from Merriam-Webster on tackle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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