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battle royal

noun

-rȯi-ˈal How to pronounce battle royal (audio)
Definition of battle royalnext
as in dispute
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions the sisters had a battle royal over whose turn it was to use the family car

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of battle royal The second came when Uso won a battle royal on Raw last fall and earned the right to face CM Punk for the then-vacant World Heavyweight Championship. — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026 Another year, another round in the battle royal for streaming licenses. — Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2026 During the battle royal last week, Uso eliminated his brother Jimmy, who had been saving him throughout the match. — Fernando Quiles Jr, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025 Pearce announced that a battle royal would take place later in the night. — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for battle royal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for battle royal
  1. dispute
  2. altercation
  3. quarrel
  4. controversy
  5. fight
  6. disagreement
  7. argument
  8. cross fire
Noun
  • Reputation work can involve sensitive information about executives, companies and disputes.
    — Scott Keever, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Insanity defendants are disproportionately low-income, their cases rarely reach a jury, and there’s usually no dispute about the diagnosis, which is almost invariably schizophrenia.
    — Ian Parker, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of dispute
Noun
  • Tchouameni and Valverde were involved in two separate altercations, a day apart, in May, with the latter taken to hospital to undergo assessments after sustaining a head injury during the second incident.
    — Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs pleaded no contest Thursday to misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property stemming from a May altercation with his girlfriend.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of altercation
Noun
  • The quarrel continued up the escalator leading to the mezzanine.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The quarrel became physical, and a man pulled a gun and shot the woman in the right calf.
    — Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of quarrel
Noun
  • Nacua checked himself into a private facility in April after a series of off-the-field controversies.
    — Jayna Bardahl, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The brothers, who are YouTube stars with various experience in boxing and wrestling, as well as courting controversy, have landed a fight competition series at Hulu and ESPN.
    — Peter White, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of controversy
Noun
  • By the end of the fight, an enthralling contest which Taylor won by a somewhat wide 27 points to 3, the crowd was on their feet.
    — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Thank you Jena, and thank you to all the Screencaps readers who have joined the fight.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of fight
Noun
  • The exchange is the latest chapter in a public disagreement that erupted after Clancy's trial, when Reddington publicly criticized the lone holdout juror who prevented a unanimous verdict on murder charges.
    — Brittany Miller , Bryan Llenas, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Conflict resolution facilitator Priya Parker has shared strategies for starting and ending a disagreement while minimizing discomfort for everyone involved.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of disagreement
Noun
  • Researchers discuss results, challenge assumptions, simplify arguments, and connect discoveries with earlier work.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2026
  • As has been discussed in the comments, Tyra did not return as a judge after that argument with Law earlier in the season.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of argument
Noun
  • During the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s, tanker ships caught in the cross fire ended up at the bottom of the Persian Gulf, which scared off potential customers.
    — Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Unfortunately, the older teens (including Louise’s nemesis, Logan) have taken over the area for snowball fights, and the younger kids get caught in the cross fire.
    — Lillian Brown, Vulture, 16 Dec. 2024
Definition of cross fire

Browse Nearby Words

battler
battle royal
battlers
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Cite this Entry

“Battle royal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/battle%20royal. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on battle royal

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about battle royal

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