brawl

1 of 2

verb

ˈbrȯl 

brawled; brawling; brawls

intransitive verb

1

: to quarrel or fight noisily : wrangle

soccer fans brawling in the streets

2

: to make a loud confused noise

The Miami river … brawled over 25 feet of rapids …

—Marjory S. Douglas

brawler noun

brawl

2 of 2

noun

1

: a noisy quarrel or fight

a brawl broke out among the fans

a barroom brawl

2

: a loud tumultuous noise

… the spring run became quite a trout brook and its tiny murmur a loud brawl …

—John Burroughs

Synonyms of brawl

Verb

• bicker
• fight
• argue
• spat
• quarrel
• clash
• squabble
• dispute

Noun

• clash
• altercation
• melee
• skirmish
• affray
• rough-and-tumble
• fracas
• ruckus
• row

Examples of brawl in a Sentence

Verb

Fans were brawling in the streets after the game.

the Wilsons were always loudly brawling, and the neighbors were always shutting their windows

Noun

they were thrown out of the party after starting a brawl

the student drama society's decision to put on the controversial play prompted a brawl at the school board meeting

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

English soccer fans have earned a reputation for violent hooliganism, hurling plastic chairs and brawling their way across the piazzas and boulevards of Europe. — Alexander Smith, NBC news, 3 July 2026

And in an age of boorish, brawling Little League Parents®, perhaps there’s a lesson to be learned from our new friends in the horn hats. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 26 June 2026

Noun

That brawl with the Rockies — figuratively and almost literally — finished with the Dodgers becoming the first team to win 60 games this season. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026

Eaton and Contreras were both issued suspensions stemming from last week’s benches-clearing brawl involving the Washington Nationals. — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 7 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English brawlen, brallen, of uncertain origin

Noun

Middle English braule, brall, noun derivative of brawlen "to brawl entry 1"

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing brawl

• barroom brawl

Rhymes for brawl

• ahl
• all
• aul
• bawl
• call
• caul
• crawl
• dol
• doll
• drawl
• fall
• gall

Kids Definition

brawl

verb

ˈbrȯl

1

: to quarrel noisily : wrangle

2

: to make a loud confused noise

brawl noun

brawler noun