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as in clash
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
throughout the week of the convention, police engaged in skirmishes with some of the demonstrators
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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as in to prospect
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of skirmish
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Walker, in a 10-pitch skirmish, drew a walk.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 19 Apr. 2026
After a skirmish in Lexington the British forces faced a larger band of Minutemen in Concord.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026
With no end to the larger skirmish in sight, fears persist that the shipment of medical supplies could remain at risk.
—Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for skirmish
Noun
Our Land is a bracing film about the murder of Chuschagasta leader Javier Chocobar, whose community has been trying for years to exert its Indigenous land rights; he was killed in 2009 in a skirmish with three armed men trying to survey the area for mining efforts.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Walker, in a 10-pitch skirmish, drew a walk.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 19 Apr. 2026
After a skirmish in Lexington the British forces faced a larger band of Minutemen in Concord.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026
With no end to the larger skirmish in sight, fears persist that the shipment of medical supplies could remain at risk.
—Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for skirmish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skirmish
Noun
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In each encounter, Riley, a chill, hangdog figure with mutton chops and a spray of freckles, was soft-spoken and receptive, curious and unhurried, but also a little elusive when necessary, knowing when to drift away.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
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Travelers who put their phones away report being more open to the kind of unplanned encounters that define memorable trips.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
16 May 2026
Noun
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But Giants-Rams might have the greatest blowout potential of these 17 Monday night clashes.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
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Here are some photos from the second of three skirmishes in this always entertaining Show Me State clash.—
Jeff Rosen,
Kansas City Star,
16 May 2026
Verb
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This game is the ultimate in brawling adventure.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2026
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The weird thing is that Becerra does know how to brawl.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The price of the precious metal has skyrocketed—briefly surpassing a record five thousand dollars an ounce earlier this spring—and, as Jennifer Wilson reports from the American West for this week’s special issue, this has led to a boom in prospecting not seen since the days of the forty-niners.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
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The Giants will use a combination of Rule 5 selection Daniel Susac and young rookie prospect Jesus Rodriguez behind the plate.—
Bernie Pleskoff,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
Noun
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Decades-long legal battle The Supreme Court decision to overturn Glossip’s conviction and death sentence last year marked a major turning point in his decades-long legal battle.—
Linh Tran,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
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But the frenzied redistricting battle of the past few months — including a congressional map in his home state thrown out by a court after people voted to approve it, and certain elections postponed in Louisiana and Alabama after mail ballots already went out — has done it.—
Miles Parks,
NPR,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Japanese art house favorite Hirokazu Kore-eda is a somewhat unlikely figure to probe the sci-fi implications of generative artificial intelligence.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
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Powerful new lasers and x-rays are enabling geologists like Korolev, a researcher at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City, to probe increasingly small flecks of minerals in deep diamonds.—
James Dinneen,
Scientific American,
14 May 2026
Noun
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The fight will be contested at welterweight, and White did not clarify how many rounds the bout would be contested at.—
Mark Puleo,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
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Uthmeier has taken a courageous stand, and should finish the fight.—
Kimberly Bird,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Cars are banned, so visitors get around on foot or by golf cart; however, the island is arguably best explored by boat.—
Nicky Swallow,
Travel + Leisure,
17 May 2026
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And with more than 20 miles of trails on the property to explore, the natural surroundings here cannot help but enhance members’ mental and physical well-being.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skirmish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skirmish. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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