brawl
verb
\
Definition of brawl
(Entry 1 of 2)
brawl
nounDefinition of brawl (Entry 2 of 2)
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Synonyms for brawl
Synonyms: Verb
altercate, argue, argufy, bicker, brabble, controvert, dispute, fall out, fight, hassle, jar, quarrel, quibble, row, scrap, spat, squabble, tiff, wrangle
Synonyms: Noun
affray [chiefly British], broil, donnybrook, fracas, fray, free-for-all, melee (also mêlée), rough-and-tumble, row, ruckus, ruction
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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 windowsNoun
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
Over the past year, the two rappers have gone from denying ill will toward one another to slyly shading each other to supposedly brawling at a party during New York Fashion Week. — Alex Abad-santos, Vox, "Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and the sexist female rapper paradigm behind their feud, explained," 6 Nov. 2018 Shocking footage shows the moment a cheerleader brawled with a bully after she was punched in the head. — Fox News, "Video shows cheerleader brawling with 'bully' after trying to make peace," 10 Sep. 2018 Will the president respond by brawling or cutting deals? — Jason L. Riley, WSJ, "The Blue Wave May Wash Education Reform Away," 13 Nov. 2018 Wisconsin Democrats also brawled in an eight-way primary for the chance to try (yet again) to knock out incumbent Republican Gov. Scott Walker. — Celeste Katz, Glamour, "Women Continue to Make History in an Election Year That's Already Shattering Records," 15 Aug. 2018 This joint practice fight comes days after the New York Jets and Washington Redskins brawled during their scrimmage. — Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, "Texans star DeAndre Hopkins, 49ers defensive back Jimmie Ward fight at joint practice," 15 Aug. 2018 By brawling with America’s friends, critics say, Trump has squandered an opportunity to build a united front against China. — Paul Wiseman, The Seattle Times, "What you need to know about the upcoming U.S.-China tariffs," 2 July 2018 Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton are the only presidents to have endured one—threatening impeachment has become as commonplace in America’s hyper-polarised system as brawling in the Taiwanese parliament. — The Economist, "The case against impeachment," 12 July 2018 The two sides began brawling in the streets before the rally got underway, throwing punches, unleashing chemical sprays and setting off smoke bombs. — Washington Post, "Lawsuit resolution could thwart Charlottesville violence," 12 July 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
McGregor also was suspended from MMA competition for six months and fined $50,000 for his role in a brawl instigated by Nurmagomedov immediately after their bout last October. — Greg Beacham, The Seattle Times, "Conor McGregor announces retirement on social media," 26 Mar. 2019 Five of those arrested were involved in a brawl that happened near the parade’s end and at least seven of the arrests were juveniles, Boyle said. — Philip Marcelo, The Seattle Times, "What a (familiar) feeling: Boston fetes Super Bowl winners," 6 Feb. 2019 In 1990, on the occasion of a soccer game in the Croatian capital of Zagreb, there was a notorious brawl between Serbs and Croats that left sixty people wounded. — Larry Wolff, WSJ, "Croatia Offers Redemption for Eastern Europe," 13 July 2018 And right now, as visitors clink crystal glasses in swanky tasting rooms, the behind-the-scenes brawl is messier than ever, perhaps even jeopardizing the valley’s acclaimed sense of community. — Mike Dunne, sacbee, "Divisive referendum seeks to limit vineyard growth in storied Napa Valley | The Sacramento Bee," 23 May 2018 After winning the series' first two games in Canada, the Cavs came home and won a brawl with the Raptors, who just can't beat James. — Tom Withers, Houston Chronicle, "LeBron James hits buzzer-beater to down Raptors," 6 May 2018 The race, at times, has been closer to a bare-knuckles brawl with Rokita attacking Messer in recent days for not fully disclosing a pair of DUIs from the 1990s. — Maureen Groppe, Indianapolis Star, "Todd Rokita is battling 'the elites,' including fellow Republicans who used to support him," 26 Apr. 2018 Either way, the owl created the greatest wedding scene since that lady crashed a wedding in Florida last fall and started a full-on brawl with the bridal party. — Gabriella Paiella, The Cut, "Messy Owl Creates Huge Scene at Wedding," 28 Mar. 2018 Last month, Quavo was involved in a post-Grammy's brawl with famed jeweler, Eric The Jeweler, in the wee hours following the award show at 1OAK in NYC. — Michael Saponara, Billboard, "NYPD Informs Quavo's Lawyer They Are Ready to Arrest Him Following Post-Grammy Club Brawl: Report," 9 Feb. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'brawl.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Learn More about brawl
From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
Them's Fightin' Words
Them's Fightin' Words
8 Words to describe a brawl
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More Definitions for brawl
brawl
verb
English Language Learners Definition of brawl
See the full definition for brawl in the English Language Learners Dictionary
brawl
verb
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Kids Definition of brawl
(Entry 1 of 2)
brawl
nounKids Definition of brawl (Entry 2 of 2)
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