free-for-all
noun
: a competition, dispute, or fight open to all comers and usually with no rules : brawl
also
: a chaotic situation resembling a free-for-all especially in lacking rules or structure
the press conference deteriorated into a free-for-all
free-for-all
adjective
Examples of free-for-all in a Sentence
during the play-offs, fans of the opposing teams clashed in the streets in several free-for-alls
it was a free-for-all when the doors to the arena opened and the crowd rushed in all at once
Recent Examples on the Web
One of Android’s biggest vulnerabilities is the sideloading of apps from outside Play Store, which has evolved as a free-for-all and the source of frightening levels of malware, copycat apps and updates, and widespread permission abuse.
—
Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
But 80 years on, performers and spectators alike say rising costs threaten the Fringe's free-for-all vibe.
—Lauren Frayer, NPR, 25 Aug. 2025
The mode uses a free-for-all scoring system, where the goal is to knock out as many Pokémon as possible, and whoever scores the most knockouts wins the match.
—Oliver Brandt, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
However the sudden shuttering of the aid agency earlier this year has led to a free-for-all, with international crime groups piling into the trade.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for free-for-all
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Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
But 80 years on, performers and spectators alike say rising costs threaten the Fringe's free-for-all vibe.
—Lauren Frayer, NPR, 25 Aug. 2025
The mode uses a free-for-all scoring system, where the goal is to knock out as many Pokémon as possible, and whoever scores the most knockouts wins the match.
—Oliver Brandt, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
However the sudden shuttering of the aid agency earlier this year has led to a free-for-all, with international crime groups piling into the trade.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for free-for-all
Cite this Entry
“Free-for-all.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/free-for-all. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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