verb
tackle
TA-kuhl
verb
1
To confront and deal with a difficult problem or task head-on.
"The council finally decided to tackle the housing shortage."
"She tackled her overflowing inbox first thing Monday morning."
2
To physically bring an opponent to the ground or take the ball from them, as in rugby, football, or soccer.
"The defender tackled him just outside the penalty area."
noun
1
Equipment or gear, especially for fishing, or the act of tackling an opponent in sport.
"He packed his fishing tackle before dawn."
"That was a clean tackle right on the whistle."
How to Use Tackle
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo take on a problem directly, to physically stop an opponent in sport, or the equipment used for a task like fishing.
Common pairings
tackle a problem
fishing tackle
a rugby tackle
tackle an issue head-on
Word Forms
tackled past tense, tackles plural, tackles singular
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The council finally decided to _____ the housing shortage.
Etymology
From Middle English takel, "gear" or "apparatus," related to a Middle Dutch word for ship's rigging.