fracas

fra·cas

noun \ˈfrā-kəs, ˈfra-, British ˈfra-ˌkä\

plural fra·cas·es \-kə-səz\ or British frac·as \-ˌkäz\

Definition of FRACAS

: a noisy quarrel : brawl

Examples of FRACAS

1. <the police broke up the fracas in the bar and threw both combatants in the lockup>
2. <police preparing for any fracas that might follow the soccer game>

Origin of FRACAS

French, din, row, from Italian fracasso, from fracassare to shatter

First Known Use: 1716

Related to FRACAS

Synonyms

battle, clash, combat, conflict, contest, dustup, fight, fray, hassle, scrap, scrimmage, scrum, scuffle, skirmish, struggle, tussle

Related Words

pitched battle, rough-and-tumble; affray [chiefly British], battle royal, brawl, broil, donnybrook, free-for-all, melee (also mêlée), mix-up, ruckus, ruction; blows, fistfight, fisticuffs, grapple, handgrips, punch-out, punch-up [chiefly British], slugfest; confrontation, duel, face-off, joust; altercation, argle-bargle [chiefly British], argument, argy-bargy [chiefly British], contretemps, controversy, cross fire, disagreement, dispute, falling-out, kickup, misunderstanding, quarrel, row, spat, squabble, tangle, tiff, wrangle; catfight

Near Antonyms

truce

Rhymes with FRACAS

Bacchus, Gracchus