fracas

noun

ˈfrā-kəs How to pronounce fracas (audio)
Definition of fracasnext
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

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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 From here, a fracas of colors, textures, and patterns permeates every last corner of this 57-room hotel. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026 Three of the six people injured in the top-floor fracas were police officers, according to Sgt. — Michael Loria, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026 The fracas in the video, of course, is a distraction from the music that’s playing in the background, ostensibly a song from the record, which is notable since the announcement didn’t come with a track list or a single. — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026 South Lake Tahoe Mayor Cody Bass, arrested after a fracas outside a Tahoe-area bar last year, was found guilty of misdemeanor harassment in the September 2025 incident, the Tahoe Daily Tribune reported. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fracas
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fracas
  1. skirmish
  2. brawl
  3. clash
  4. altercation
  5. battle
  6. fight
  7. scuffle
  8. dustup
Noun
  • Ties between the two countries, which had deteriorated sharply following a deadly border skirmish in 2020, have been thawing for more than a year.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The duo walks away from this skirmish, though not unscathed, as Samjad quickly and economically sets up a blistering saga of stylish reprisals with no holds barred.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of skirmish
Noun
  • Verbal fights between the two women devolved into a physical brawl.
    — Eamon Javers, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The video shows one of the men holding a gun during the brawl.
    — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of brawl
Noun
  • After spending some time playing in a (very cool) makeshift stadium on the shores of Lake Michigan, the Northwestern Wildcats finally christened the new Ryan Field in an important Big Ten clash with Penn State.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The Buffs and the Blue Raiders are undefeated in district play and will face off in a high-stakes Week 7 clash.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of clash
Noun
  • Police have launched a homicide investigation after a man died from injuries suffered in an altercation that was initially reported as a possible strong-arm robbery, a police spokesman said.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2026
  • To illustrate Daniel’s progress, Shaikh recounted an altercation Daniel had while leading a Friday evening prayer service in jail.
    — Jeff Winter, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of altercation
Noun
  • Chinese media reported that PLA forces deployed Type 99A main battle tanks alongside drones, uncrewed ground vehicles and helicopters.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Alabama and Mississippi State battle, and Underdog is offering new users a chance to use promo code FOXNEWS to earn up to $100 in bonus bets on a $5 wager.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of battle
Noun
  • In July, the music artist and producer spent some solo time after getting into a prison fight, sources told TMZ and NBC News.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
  • As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary of independence, Smithsonian leaders are turning to AI to better understand items in its collection tied to the fight that led to the country’s founding.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of fight
Noun
  • Now, the sequence is more likely to end in shouted abuse and maybe a scuffle, the video shot on phones and streamed — sometimes live — on platforms like Kick or Facebook.
    — Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2026
  • At first, the scuffle only involved the original two women, but quickly chaos broke out as smaller fights broke out all over from around a dozen friends or spectators, the report read.
    — Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of scuffle
Noun
  • After the dustups, the offense went from taking blows from the defense to delivering some of its own.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 July 2026
  • The White House’s latest dustup with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) landed with a thud Thursday among his GOP colleagues.
    — Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 23 July 2026
Definition of dustup

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Cite this Entry

“Fracas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fracas. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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