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
Relevance
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
Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 29 May 2026
Viral kindergarten graduation brawls are back.
—Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026
Roma won the derby against Lazio 2-0, but there were brawls between the players after each of the goals.
—ABC News, 17 May 2026
That kicked off 240-character brawls with other scientists who insisted that flu posed a greater risk than COVID-19.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
Viral videos of onboard brawls contributed to the airline’s notoriety.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
Malema heads the Economic Freedom Fighters, which advocates for the expropriation of mines, banks and land, and is notorious for starting brawls in parliament.
—Jonathan Tirone, Bloomberg, 16 Apr. 2026
Other brewhouse brawls happen at Magnanimous Brewing in Tampa (Havoc And Haze) and Walking Tree Brewery in Vero Beach (Rooted In Chaos), often drawing 300 to 500 visitors, CCW co-owner Dan Ackerman says.
—Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2026
This provoked what became known as the Aston Riot, with nearby public houses wrecked and violent brawls ensuing.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2026
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2026
Noun
Bond's relative lack of experience and finesse also feeds into the chaos of all-out brawls.
—Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 29 May 2026
Viral kindergarten graduation brawls are back.
—Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026
Roma won the derby against Lazio 2-0, but there were brawls between the players after each of the goals.
—ABC News, 17 May 2026
That kicked off 240-character brawls with other scientists who insisted that flu posed a greater risk than COVID-19.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
Viral videos of onboard brawls contributed to the airline’s notoriety.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
Malema heads the Economic Freedom Fighters, which advocates for the expropriation of mines, banks and land, and is notorious for starting brawls in parliament.
—Jonathan Tirone, Bloomberg, 16 Apr. 2026
Other brewhouse brawls happen at Magnanimous Brewing in Tampa (Havoc And Haze) and Walking Tree Brewery in Vero Beach (Rooted In Chaos), often drawing 300 to 500 visitors, CCW co-owner Dan Ackerman says.
—Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2026
This provoked what became known as the Aston Riot, with nearby public houses wrecked and violent brawls ensuing.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2026
Verb
As the man brawls with his in-laws, the boy is caught between two worlds, of male rage and female subjection.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brawls
Noun
-
Outside the facility’s gates, there have been clashes between federal immigration officials and demonstrators.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
-
Days of protests outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Newark, New Jersey, have led to clashes between demonstrators and officers and a handful of arrests.—
Chris Boyette,
CNN Money,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Durso alleged that Valle was upset after the previous altercations and lost his cool when his friend’s vehicle was damaged by the crowd of youths who rocked and shook the vehicle Valle and his friends arrived in.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
1 June 2026
-
Charles Melton plays an American GI named Private K who’s trying to locate his daughter and keeps getting into bloody altercations.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Even within the walls of the apartment, there was the hum of the refrigerator, the soft ticking of a radio alarm clock and the clock in the VCR, the submarine tlack of the cassette reversing in the answering machine, and other little noises.—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
-
Unpredictable hours, loud noises, finicky clients, wrenches, needles.—
Jane Bua,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
The welcome is relaxed and warm while the flamboyant decor fights to charm you.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
An Army official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said soldiers who were fans of UFC fights and who meet Army standards were given a preference, which the official said is standard practice for such events.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Inconspicuous blows against Denver escalated to skirmishes.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
-
Thankfully, none of these skirmishes affects the guests’ satisfaction with the trip.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
In a 2024 study, researchers found that chimpanzee mothers tended to step in to defend their children in quarrels—say, over food or space in a tree—in about half of cases the researchers observed in the wild.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
10 May 2026
-
As the trio quarrels, bonds and ventures through the wild unknown, Felix discovers that true bravery may change not only his own destiny, but also the future of his home.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
Both of them suggest the guitarist Loren Connors leading the early roars of Earth, his intuitive way of navigating the instrument’s neck bolstered by a formidable wall of hum at his back.—
Grayson Haver Currin,
Pitchfork,
14 May 2026
-
All of that felt like a distant memory on Monday night, when Becerra, now the leading Democrat ahead of the June 2 primary, was met with roars of approval from a hometown crowd of at least 700 people at Sacramento State.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
12 May 2026
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 5 Jun. 2026.
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