1
as in skirmish
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
the police broke up the fracas in the bar and threw both combatants in the lockup
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in brawl
a rough and often noisy fight usually involving several people
police preparing for any fracas that might follow the soccer game
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fracas
The lawsuit is not the only thing that has shone a bit of a spotlight on Willow Park; fracas and disagreements at city hall have caught the attention of the rest of Parker County.
—
Tanya Babbar,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 May 2026
Steer ended up getting plunked on Thursday, retribution for his Jomboy-worthy fracas.
—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
Nnaji grabbed De’Anthony Melton’s jersey in the fracas.
—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
But the fracas after the final buzzer didn’t dim the lights as the Hawks secured their 10th straight win.
—
Lauren Williams,
AJC.com,
17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fracas
Tanya Babbar,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 May 2026
Steer ended up getting plunked on Thursday, retribution for his Jomboy-worthy fracas.
—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
Nnaji grabbed De’Anthony Melton’s jersey in the fracas.
—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
But the fracas after the final buzzer didn’t dim the lights as the Hawks secured their 10th straight win.
—
Lauren Williams,
AJC.com,
17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fracas
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fracas
Noun
-
While the war ended years before, the hostility spread from the stands — with skirmishes among supporters — into the field, when Maradona tricked the referee and the world with the World Cup’s most infamous goal, punching the ball into the net with his fist above England’s goalie Peter Shilton.
-
Continue reading … — Two arrested as skirmishes erupt outside courthouse after Karmelo Anthony verdict.
Noun
-
Interspersed with the adventure – and quite a few brawls with bad guys – are flashbacks to Kara’s time on Krypton and adopting Krypto.
-
Strickland and Ospreay brawl in the ring with the former standing tall.
Noun
-
But Kubo hasn’t played since suffering a meniscus tear in Japan’s opener against the Netherlands, and yesterday he was ruled out for the Brazil clash.
-
At the heart of the clash is how to manage wild horse populations that can reproduce at a rapid clip.
Noun
-
While Blutinger was speaking, history professor Jonathan Roth attempted to take video of the protesters in the hallway and got into a physical altercation with a female student who tried to block him from doing so.
-
During that altercation, the other person shot Perkins several times, police said.
Noun
-
Riff argued the issue to halt the payout was not a legal battle but rather a political one.
-
While the first half of the match was full of battles and speed runs from one goal to another, the players seem to be taking a more methodical pace after returning from the locker room.
Noun
-
Panama is already eliminated from advancing to the knockout round, but is continuing to show some fight here.
-
Chicago police said the two women, aged 27 and 36, got into a fight in an apparent road rage incident.
Noun
-
Lalas’ apparent delight in courting the enmity of the American viewing public also extends to his co-hosts—so much so that his early verbal scuffles with Zlatan Ibrahimović have gone more viral than whooping cough.
-
Bonner, Thomas, Hines-Allen and Fever guard Sophie Cunningham were also assessed technical fouls for their actions during the scuffle.
Noun
-
Things settled down quickly after that, though the brief dustup ended with Contreras, Boston interim manager Chad Tracy, Boston outfielder Nate Eaton and Mikolas being ejected.
-
In February, fans watched a dustup between the Detroit Pistons and the Charlotte Hornets.
Cite this Entry
“Fracas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fracas. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
