brawl

1 of 2

verb

brawled; brawling; brawls
Synonyms of brawlnext

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 brawlJohn Burroughs

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
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.
Verb
Rose then brawled with another user who accused the ambassador of interfering in Polish politics. Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 5 Feb. 2026 As the man brawls with his in-laws, the boy is caught between two worlds, of male rage and female subjection. Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2026
Noun
Tensions peaked in 2020, as a brawl in the high-altitude region of Ladakh killed at least 20 Indian soldiers, as well as an unconfirmed number of Chinese troops, and led to a two-year military standoff. Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 17 Feb. 2026 Two passengers received a lifetime ban from Jet2 after a brawl on a flight from Turkey to England. Eve Chen, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for brawl

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of brawl was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Brawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brawl. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

brawl

verb
ˈbrȯl
1
: to quarrel noisily : wrangle
2
: to make a loud confused noise
brawl noun
brawler noun

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