Illustration of tackle
- tackle 2b
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
tackled; tackling
ˈta-k(ə-)liŋ 
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
: to tackle an opposing player in football
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
Alec Lewis, New York Times, 2 June 2025
Boise State is represented in the College Football Hall of Fame by Randy Trautman, a Caldwell native who walked on as a defensive tackle in 1978 and is the only Bronco to earn four first-team All-American awards.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 2 June 2025
Annika Pham, Variety, 3 June 2025
Lee could be inaugurated as early as Wednesday – and faces a host of issues waiting to be tackled.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tackle
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Noun
The team had spent more than $100 million on new players for the trenches, and rightfully, the signings of guard Will Fries, center Ryan Kelly and defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave occupied the headlines (along with the quarterback conversation).
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 2 June 2025
Boise State is represented in the College Football Hall of Fame by Randy Trautman, a Caldwell native who walked on as a defensive tackle in 1978 and is the only Bronco to earn four first-team All-American awards.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 2 June 2025
Verb
Then one angle to be tackled is nostalgia and its danger.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 3 June 2025
Lee could be inaugurated as early as Wednesday – and faces a host of issues waiting to be tackled.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tackle
Cite this Entry
“Tackle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tackle. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
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
1
: to seize or take hold of especially in order to stop or throw down
2
: to set about dealing with
tackle a problem
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