fracas

noun

fra·​cas ˈfrā-kəs  ˈfra- 

British

ˈfra-ˌkä 

plural fracases ˈfrā-kə-səz 

ˈfra-

or British fracas ˈfra-ˌkäz 

: a noisy quarrel : brawl

a drunken fracas

Synonyms of fracas

• skirmish
• clash
• battle
• fight
• scuffle
• dustup

Examples of fracas in a Sentence

the police broke up the fracas in the bar and threw both combatants in the lockup

police preparing for any fracas that might follow the soccer game

Recent Examples on the Web

Grand Canyon got a controversial goal in the 88th minute from superstar Senegalese freshman Junior Diouf in a classic smash-and-grab victory followed by a heated fracas at midfield between the teams. —Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Nov. 2025

The fracas broke out cageside shortly before the main card began. —Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 16 Nov. 2025

For all of these camps, the fracas at Alpha Genesis offered a new occasion to denounce the waste of taxpayer dollars on unseemly animal experiments. —Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025

Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov, standing behind Hagel, took exception and gave Hagel a forceful cross-check in the back, sending him lunging forward and drawing both teams into a fracas in the corner of the ice. —Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, din, row, from Italian fracasso, from fracassare to shatter

First Known Use

1716, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

fracas

noun

fra·​cas ˈfrā-kəs  ˈfrak-əs 

: a noisy quarrel or fight