brawl

verb

\ ˈbrȯl

brawled; brawling; brawls

Definition of brawl

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

brawl

noun

Definition of brawl (Entry 2 of 2)

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

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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 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

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 2018 Two North Carolina girls’ softball teams are now banned from future tournaments after their parents and fans were caught brawling over apparently questionable calls made by an umpire. — Greg Norman, Fox News, "North Carolina girls' softball teams banned from events after parents caught brawling at tournament," 19 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Markets were also unsettled by a monthslong brawl on Capitol Hill over federal funding culminating in a 16-day government shutdown in October. — David Harrison, WSJ, "Timeline of Significant Fed Events in 2013," 11 Jan. 2019 Antonio Gomes da Cruz took part in the lynching of Wallison Silva Araújo after the 19-year-old killed his son Mykson in a drunken brawl. — Samantha Pearson, WSJ, "In Latin America, Awash in Crime, Citizens Impose Their Own Brutal Justice," 6 Dec. 2018 Meanwhile, a brawl broke out among attendees that spilled out to the courtroom hallway. — Katherine Lam, Fox News, "Connecticut man collapses in court, says 'I'm a good soul' despite accusation of high school student's murder," 13 Sep. 2018 Basketball took a back seat on Monday during the FIBA World Cup qualifying game between Australia and Gilas Pilipinas when a massive brawl broke out. — Scooby Axson, SI.com, "Gilas–Australia FIBA World Cup Qualifier Turns Into Massive Brawl," 2 July 2018 The incident happened just days after a brawl broke out at XXX’s concert in Santa Ana, CA, in which the rapper was knocked to the ground by a concert attendee while performing on stage. — Billboard Staff, Billboard, "A Timeline of XXXTentacion's Career, From Soundcloud Rapper to Hip-Hop Sensation," 19 June 2018 Want to start a brawl with the opposing side of town? — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "Why Is Riverdale So Thirsty This Season?," 31 Oct. 2018 Two new contestants are locked inside the cage for a brawl. — John Mccall, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Fighting for free: The penniless pursuit of amateur MMA fighters in South Florida," 19 June 2018 One woman's trip to the gym ended with a brawl and destruction, video shows. — Josh Magness, kansascity, "Woman causes destruction at Planet Fitness, hurls computer at an employee, video shows," 15 June 2018

These 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.