as in to disrupt
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
his grandfather would always tousle the boy's neatly combed hair
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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.
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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
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Shiite militias from Iraq and Syria launched rockets and drones to disrupt Israel’s advanced air defense systems, but these efforts posed no significant threat to them.Amos Yadlin, Foreign Affairs, 17 Dec. 2024
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Pearson, 28, became an effective multi-inning reliever after getting traded from Toronto (2.73 ERA in 19 appearances), and the Cubs probably won’t want to disrupt that momentum.Sahadev Sharma, The Athletic, 17 Dec. 2024
Verb
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House Republicans on Thursday shuffled in and out of Speaker Mike Johnson's office as the clock ticked toward the shutdown deadline.Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024
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On the next spread, the characters are shuffled around, and you are asked to once again identify the row your character is in and follow the instructions to a specific page and figure.Megan Gambino, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Warmer waters as a result of climate change and krill harvesting could be disturbing traditional humpback feeding grounds, forcing whales to go farther and farther to find food.Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024
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One was arrested on suspicion of battery on a police officer and disturbing the public’s business, LAPD Sgt.David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2024
Verb
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These tools blur the line between reality and fiction, which can confuse audiences, especially younger viewers.Gerui Wang, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
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However, her version is not to be confused with the film’s official soundtrack.Angel Saunders, People.com, 11 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Tousle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tousle. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.
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