1
as in clashes
a rough and often noisy fight usually involving several people
they were thrown out of the party after starting a brawl
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in altercations
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
the student drama society's decision to put on the controversial play prompted a brawl at the school board meeting
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in noises
loud, confused, and usually inharmonious sound
we could hear the brawl of the river rapids ahead of us before we could actually see them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in fights
to express different opinions about something often angrily
the Wilsons were always loudly brawling, and the neighbors were always shutting their windows
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of brawls
Ross Guidotti, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
The plastic whistles and the car horns and the street brawls and the neighborhoods emptying into streets — the whole communities playing immovable rock to unstoppable federal force.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 1 Jan. 2026
Drunken brawls, some murders, a few disappearances and ghost sightings were reported along its main drag.
—Kalpana Mohan, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025
In California, the list could also include regular political brawls over tax laws.
—Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 1 Dec. 2025
The video then shifts abruptly to tense music and video clips of bare feet swiping on an in-flight monitor and then a series of brawls on flights.
—Kristin Wright, NPR, 23 Nov. 2025
The film followed Chan Lok-kwun (Raymond Lam), a mainland refugee trying to pay his way to a fake ID by winning bare-knuckle brawls.
—Marcus Lim, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
Both are perfectly capable of turning sequences that teeter on the edge of bathos into brawls.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2025
The onset of the Great Depression, which hit Germany’s fragile economy harder than most, heralded a rapid rise in street brawls among these groups.
—Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
Investigators aren't saying if there's a connection between Henderson's death and brawls at the bar.
—Ross Guidotti, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
The plastic whistles and the car horns and the street brawls and the neighborhoods emptying into streets — the whole communities playing immovable rock to unstoppable federal force.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 1 Jan. 2026
Drunken brawls, some murders, a few disappearances and ghost sightings were reported along its main drag.
—Kalpana Mohan, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025
In California, the list could also include regular political brawls over tax laws.
—Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 1 Dec. 2025
The video then shifts abruptly to tense music and video clips of bare feet swiping on an in-flight monitor and then a series of brawls on flights.
—Kristin Wright, NPR, 23 Nov. 2025
The film followed Chan Lok-kwun (Raymond Lam), a mainland refugee trying to pay his way to a fake ID by winning bare-knuckle brawls.
—Marcus Lim, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
Both are perfectly capable of turning sequences that teeter on the edge of bathos into brawls.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2025
The onset of the Great Depression, which hit Germany’s fragile economy harder than most, heralded a rapid rise in street brawls among these groups.
—Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brawls
Noun
-
Since Assad’s ousting, Syria has seen flare-ups of deadly sectarian violence, with clashes erupting between security forces and those loyal to the former president, including in Syria’s coastal Latakia region in March.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
-
As for South Sudan, a senior United Nations official said earlier this week that the ongoing conflict in Sudan is causing destabilization in South Sudan, including armed clashes and food insecurity.—
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
No arrests, detentions or altercations with police were reported.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Loud sounds of rioters and altercations with Capitol Police could be heard clearly.—
Sarah Ghermay,
Washington Post,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Soft-close cabinetry is another staple of 2026 kitchen design, according to the report, a trait that not only aids durability but also prevents jarring noises.—
Kristina McGuirk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Turns out, those crystal bowls and milk glass dishes—both of which made ample clinking noises—were perfect for alerting grandma that little ones were snagging candy before dinner.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Eleven finds her way to them, jumping inside the Mind Flayer to destroy Vecna, who’s controlling it from within, while Will fights telepathically from the outside, no longer empathetic or afraid to go toe to toe with his former saboteur.—
Yohana Desta,
Rolling Stone,
4 Jan. 2026
-
Ucg | Universal Images Group | Getty Images Novo Nordisk’s shift from a market darling to a serious underperformer has set the stage for a transitional 2026 as the Danish drugmaker fights to regain investor confidence in its weight loss business.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Hundreds of thousands of civilians were displaced from their homes in both countries when border skirmishes broke out for the second time this year.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Dec. 2025
-
For more than a century, Thailand and Cambodia have contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points along their 817-kilometer (508-mile) land border – a dispute that has occasionally exploded into skirmishes and fighting.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
27 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
But by agreeing to disagree on these ideological quarrels, negotiators could manage to find ways to prevent them from triggering unnecessary crises.—
Mohammad Javad Zarif,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Dec. 2025
-
There is enough division already without such quarrels.—
Amy Davidson Sorkin,
New Yorker,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The people want to see Varang’s fierce roars!—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
3 Jan. 2026
-
White then nailed a step back 3, drawing more roars, and Jones hit a reverse layup.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The pope, played by Samora la Perdida, is a mincing oaf who bickers with Galas about the value of translating Wagner.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brawls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brawls. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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