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
Wilkins has the most tackles of any defensive tackles since entering the league. Daniel Oyefusi, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024 Defensive tackle Arik Armstead is poised to return for his 10th season, cornerback Deommodore Lenoir is coming off a breakout season, and safety Ji’Ayir Brown has a Super Bowl interception to his credit. Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2024 One of most perplexing subplots to the disappointing end to the Dallas Cowboys season was the disappearing act of defensive tackle Mazi Smith. Clarence E. Hill Jr., Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Feb. 2024 Model Chanel Iman and New England Patriots defensive tackle Davon Godchaux first met at a popular beach club in Miami—and in May of last year, Davon proposed while the couple were on vacation in Capri, Italy. Alexandra MacOn, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2024 The draft features plenty of tackle prospects, like Alabama’s JC Latham, who lost to Harbaugh and the Wolverines last month in the national semifinals. Jeff Miller, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2024 The visitors had an even better opportunity moments later when Marcos Llorente was sent through on goal but Inter defender Stefan de Vrij managed to get back in time for a last-ditch tackle. Daniella Matar, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024 The massive Irish tackle (6-8, 315) amassed several All-American honors after another successful season in South Bend and is one of two blue chip tackle prospects in this class. Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2024 Along the way for the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive tackle Jackie Slater came three Super Bowl rings and spots on the franchise’s All-Decade and All-Dynasty teams. Oliver Thomas, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
Verb
Short subjects willing to tackle tough subjects made the final cut with the Academy this year. Peter Debruge, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024 India has struggled for years to tackle high rates of violence against women, with a number of high-profile rape cases involving foreign visitors drawing international attention to the issue. Vedika Sud, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 Her priorities include tackling inclusivity, border pollution and wait times. Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024 The nonprofit intends to keep the 93,000-square-foot campus as an arts institute and will start tackling a backlog of maintenance issues, which could take as much as four years, the Chronicle reported. Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024 For those who can’t or don’t want to tackle those bigger projects required to sell, Archway Homes, owned by husband and wife team Jon and Stacy Bichelmeyer, provides a convenient alternative to the traditional, lengthy home selling process. Archway Homes, Kansas City Star, 3 Mar. 2024 Use it to tackle everything from grout on tiles to dirty windows. Isabel Garcia, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024 This exercise will help define the business cases around modernization, help prioritize what to tackle in what order and ensure your modernization strategy is anchored in your larger business strategy. Larry English, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Last year, a group of local climate advocacy organizations levied heavy criticism at the city’s efforts to tackle climate issues. Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee, 29 Feb. 2024

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 18 Mar. 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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