scrimmage

1 of 2

noun

scrim·​mage ˈskri-mij 

1

a

: a minor battle : skirmish

b

: a confused fight : scuffle

2

a

: the interplay between two football teams that begins with the snap of the ball and continues until the ball is dead

b

: practice play (as in football or basketball) between two squads

scrimmage

2 of 2

verb

scrimmaged; scrimmaging

intransitive verb

: to take part in a scrimmage

transitive verb

: to play a scrimmage against

scrimmager noun

Synonyms of scrimmage

Noun

• skirmish
• clash
• battle
• fight

Verb

• fight
• battle
• clash (with)
• war (against)
• skirmish (with)
• combat

Examples of scrimmage in a Sentence

Noun

The first play from scrimmage netted them a touchdown.

the two players got into a scrimmage off the court and got suspended

Verb

Last weekend we scrimmaged against Bell High.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Putting too much stock in the three-on-three scrimmage isn’t entirely fair to these prospects or the development process. — Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 2 July 2026

Available tickets for the scrimmage, as of Sunday, ranged between $13 and $31. — Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 28 June 2026

Verb

The Irish and Spartans have scrimmaged at the start of a season for about 10 years. — Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 13 Mar. 2026

Steve Kerr said Curry would scrimmage again in the coming days, then be re-evaluated over the weekend. — ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English scrymmage, alteration of skyrmissh skirmish

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1536, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing scrimmage

• line of scrimmage
• scrimmage line

Rhymes for scrimmage

• image

Kids Definition

scrimmage

1 of 2 noun

scrim·​mage ˈskrim-ij 

1

: a minor battle : skirmish

2

: the play between two football teams that begins with the snap of the ball

3

: practice play between a team's squads or a practice game between two teams

scrimmage

2 of 2 verb

scrimmaged; scrimmaging

: to take part in a scrimmage

scrimmager noun