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

The two briefly brawled before Femi hit Reed with an uppercut. — Ryan Gaydos Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2026

Jordan, the brawling former wrestler who helmed the Judiciary Committee, has long been preferred by the hard right, including some from the Freedom Caucus. — Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026

Noun

While there were multiple fights at the game on Sunday, the arrest was in connection with a brawl in the Levi's Stadium parking lot in which a man was seen on video kicking and punching someone who was unconscious. — Jose Fabian, CBS News, 11 Nov. 2026

Nine players from Pine Bluff and 14 more from Grambling were suspended from that above brawl. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Nov. 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